The National Space Operations Centre is on a mission to bolster UK satellite safety, with the tech becoming ever more important in daily life and business.

With this in mind, the NSpOC added a new feature to its Monitor Space Hazards platform, called Manoeuvre Trade Space Plots – a tool that helps UK satellite operators visualise and plan collision avoidance.

In an increasingly crowded orbit, precision manoeuvres are vital. These plots display real-time data, enabling operators to identify the best strategies to dodge potential collisions, conserve fuel, and extend satellite life.

When a potential collision is detected, and the risk exceeds 0.001%, NSpOC’s new tool calculates the probability of an incident, providing operators with a clear view of manoeuvre options and their outcomes. This varying likelihood is depicted in the form of Manoeuvre Trade Space Plots.

These plots indicate the conjunction probability for a potential collision event from the time of identification up to the Time of Closest Approach (TCA) between the two objects.

Efficient manoeuvres mean less fuel waste and more longevity for satellites. Operators can now make informed decisions to avoid mishaps, increasing the chance of mission success while promoting more sustainable management of our orbital assets.

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Orbital congestion and space debris is one of the biggest challenges facing the global space sector and back in September of 2022, the UK Space Agency committed £102 million, over the next three years, to deliver capabilities to track objects in space and reduce debris.

There are estimated to be more than 130 million pieces of space debris orbiting Earth, from tiny flecks of paint from spacecraft, to old satellites, spent rocket bodies and even tools dropped by astronauts.

Debris can stay in orbit for hundreds of years and present a real danger to satellites and the public services that they deliver, from communications and navigation to environmental monitoring.