Operations & Safety

Space operations have accelerated to unprecedented levels as commercial service providers ramp up their business plans. Ensuring space operations safety is paramount for the long-term viability and sustainability of space activities. Space situational awareness plays a critical role in maintaining physical safety by tracking and avoiding potential collisions between spacecraft, orbital debris, and other objects in Earth's orbit. Effective space traffic management systems are essential for collision avoidance during launch and on-orbit operations. Space weather monitoring is another crucial aspect of space safety, as solar flares and geomagnetic storms can disrupt communications and pose risks to both spacecraft and astronauts. Implementing robust space debris mitigation strategies, such as deorbiting defunct satellites and rocket bodies, helps preserve the space environment for future generations. Ultimately, adhering to space safety standards and space sustainability practices is vital for ensuring the responsible and long-term utilization of the space domain.

News & Analysis

Feb 03, 2026
The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket failed to execute a planned engine burn to deorbit, the company said late Feb. 2.
Feb 03, 2026
NASA will skip its February launch opportunity to send four astronauts on a flight test around the Moon to review data from a launchpad fueling test that ended early due to a hydrogen leak.
Feb 02, 2026
Airbus plans to finally deploy the Superbird-9 broadcast and broadband satellite for Japan’s SKY Perfect JSAT next year after multiple delays, Schoellhorn says.
Feb 01, 2026
Countdown clocks at NASA's Kennedy Space Center began ticking down toward a simulated launch of the Artemis II Moon mission.
Jan 31, 2026
Axiom Space has been selected by NASA for a fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the company announced Jan. 30.
Jan 30, 2026
NASA said it is standing down from a planned Jan. 31 wet dress rehearsal of its second Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Jan 30, 2026
SpaceX says it has developed a space situational awareness system it will make available to others to mitigate the risk of collisions.
Jan 30, 2026
Russia plans the inaugural launch of the Soyuz-5 medium-lift vehicle at the end of March, the deputy head of Roscosmos state corporation Dmitry Baranov says.