Scientists Address Satellite Collision Risk with New Research Center

A new space research center is being established to concentrate on methods for preventing satellite collisions. This £5 million initiative by Durham University, as stated by Prof James Osborn, the center’s founding director, aims to unite scientists and policymakers to develop improved “traffic management” systems for satellites. Prof Osborn indicated that the belief that objects avoid collisions due to the immense size of space “could no longer be relied upon.” He further noted the crucial role of satellites in providing internet access to rural regions, citing Weardale in Durham as an example. While only a small number of new satellites were launched into space annually in the 1960s, Prof Osborn explained that this figure has dramatically increased in recent years, largely attributed to the widespread availability of reusable rockets. “Now it’s thousands of satellites a year,” he stated. Approximately 10,000 active satellites are currently in orbit. Prof Osborn remarked, “Nobody knows where they are going at any one moment.” He added, “That’s a problem because that leads to potential collisions or accidents.” The new center is contributing to the development of technology designed to track satellite positions. Additionally, the space center team is formulating new policies for managing objects in space, with the expectation that these will be adopted by space agencies and governments. He further elaborated that the capacity to both develop new technologies and simultaneously work on new policies constituted the “key point” of the center. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.