Abstract:
The challenges of spaceflight safety are increasing due to rapid growth in satellite populations, debris, and operational complexity. Conjunction trends show steep rises in close approaches within low Earth orbit, driven by large constellations and debris-producing events such as antisatellite tests. Traditional space situational awareness systems face limitations stemming from incomplete trajectory knowledge, inconsistent ephemeris formats, and elevated false-alarm rates. The Space Data Center (SDC) provides a cooperative framework that integrates operator ephemerides, maneuver plans, and spacecraft parameters to improve conjunction assessment fidelity. Key methods include data normalization, comparative analysis across multiple SSA sources, anomaly detection, and continuous quality control. Pooled operator data improves prediction accuracy, reduces missed maneuvers and cross-tags, and strengthens identification of high-risk encounters. These findings demonstrate that collaborative, data-rich SSA architectures are critical for managing congestion, reducing collision risk, and supporting long-term spaceflight safety.
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Hall, R.A., “Solving Spaceflight Safety Challenges: The Space Data Center,” Satellite 2022, 22 Mar 2022, accessible at https://comspoc.com/Resources/Content/Private/C-20220425T205442/Presentation/20220322_Solving_Space_Safety_Challenges_w_SDC.show.pdf.
