• WASHINGTON - As the number of satellites in orbit grows, one emerging challenge is the difficulty some satellite operators have contacting counterparts to avoid potential collisions. • The difficulty in coordinating maneuvers between satellite operators to reduce the risk of a collision has become so severe than the United Nations has been called in to assist on at least two occasions. • “In the last 14 months, my office has been called on twice to help avoid potentially devastating incidents,” said Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in a prerecorded speech at the 12thAnnual Space Traffic Conference last week. • The first incident, she said, involved a conjunction between American and Chinese satellites. • The American operator, who she did not identify, contacted UNOOSA after the Chinese operator did not respond to repeated messages. • “It wasn’t easy, but it worked, and the Chinese operator moved their satellite,” she said.

Article Summaries:

  • WASHINGTON - As the number of satellites in orbit grows, one emerging challenge is the difficulty some satellite operators have contacting counterparts to avoid potential collisions. The difficulty in coordinating maneuvers between satellite operators to reduce the risk of a collision has become so severe than the United Nations has been called in to assist on at least two occasions. “In the last 14 months, my office has been called on twice to help avoid potentially devastating incidents,” said Aarti Holla-Maini, director of the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in a prer

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