NASA and Elon Musk’s private aerospace company SpaceX recently became signatories of a joint agreement to maintain and improve space safety.
The prominent highlight of the agreement is the conjunction avoidance and launch collision avoidance between NASA spacecraft and the large constellation of SpaceX Starlink satellites. As per NASA, the deal is also related to rideshare mission. SpaceX rideshare mission, provides access to space for small satellite operators seeking reliable, affordable ride to orbit.
Conjunction is defined as a close approach between two objects in space, usually at very high speed. NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk, in his statement stated that “Society depends on space-based capabilities for global communications, navigation, weather forecasting, and much more,”.
For a better and safe navigation, the NASA Administrator suggested increased dialogue for cooperation. He stated that “With commercial companies launching more and more satellites, it’s critical we increase communications, exchange data, and establish best practices to ensure we all maintain a safe space environment.”
The Starlink spacecraft are equipped with global navigation satellite service receivers to estimate orbital parameters, an autonomous manoeuvring capability and an ion propulsion system, that provide data for prompt and proactive exchange of information.
Both NASA and SpaceX are bound to benefit from this enhanced interaction. The infallible communication will help in ensuring that all parties involved are fully aware of the exact location of spacecraft and debris in orbit and thus will prevent avoidable collusions.
SpaceX has agreed that its Starlink satellites will autonomously or manually manoeuvre to ensure the missions of NASA science satellites. Additionally it ensured that other assets will be able to operate uninterrupted from a collision avoidance perspective.
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX that provide satellite internet access. The constellation consists of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in Low Earth Orbits.
Unless otherwise stated by SpaceX, NASA has agreed to not manoeuvre its assets in the event of a potential conjunction to ensure the parties do not inadvertently manoeuvre into one another.