Space Safety Coalition publishes updated best practices for space operations

The Space Safety Coalition – a coalition of companies, organisations, and governmental and industry actors dedicated to promoting space safety – has published an updated set of Best Practices for the Sustainability of Space Operations. Compared to the previous version, the document outlines procedures to coordinate manoeuvres between space objects (e.g. satellites), particularly when it comes to collision avoidance manoeuvres involving two objects. Some of the other guidelines included in the document include: 

• Spacecraft stakeholders should avoid intentional space object fragmentations or intentional collisions with other objects that place other nations’ interests, satellites, or crew at risk.
• Spacecraft owners, operators and stakeholders should exchange information relevant to safety-of-flight and collision avoidance.
• In selecting launch service providers, space operators should consider the sustainability of the space environment.
• Mission and constellation designers and spacecraft operators should make space safety a priority when designing architectures and operations concepts for individual spacecraft, constellations, and/or fleets of spacecraft.
• Spacecraft operators should adopt space operations concepts that enhance sustainability of the space environment.

As of 7 April 2023, the best practices have been endorsed by 27 entities, including Airbus, Inmarsat, Intelsat, and SES. Notably absent are SpaceX and OneWeb.