Small Satellite Operator Best Practices for SSA and Conjunction Assessment

Over the last few years, there has been an explosion of interest in building and operating small satellites in orbit. Recent studies have found that there are plans to launch thousands of new satellites over the next 10 years to provide communications, remote sensing, and a host of other capabilities. While the evolution and development of small satellites, including cubesats, has greatly lowered the barriers to participating in space and increased innovation, it has also created new challenges. In particular, small satellites pose unique challenges for space situational awareness (SSA), including tracking, identification, and minimizing potential collisions with other space objects.

To help address these issues, SWF held a side event at the 2016 SmallSat Conference in Logan, Utah, to provide participants detailed information and best practices on how small satellite operators can work with SSA providers such as the U.S. military's Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) and the non-governmental Space Data Association (SDA) to facilitate accurate and timely tracking and identification of their satellites and process warnings of close approaches with other space objects.