China reached out to NASA to avoid a potential satellite collision in 1st-of-its-kind space cooperation | Space

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When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. China recently reached out to NASA over a maneuver to prevent a possible collision between satellites, a space sustainability official said, marking a first for space traffic management. "For years, if we had a conjunction, we would send a note to the Chinese saying, 'We think we're going to run into you. You hold still, we'll maneuver around you,'" Alvin Drew, director for NASA Space Sustainability, said during a plenary session at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 2. A big shift had come a day earlier, Drew revealed. "Just yesterday, we had a bit of a celebration because, for the first time, the Chinese National Space Agency reached out to us and said, 'We see a conjunction amongst our satellites. We recommend you hold still. We'll do the maneuver.' And that's the first time that's ever happened," Drew said. The move by the China National S

Click for next article An artist's concept depicting the near-Earth orbital debris field, based on real data from the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office. (Image credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 25 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter China recently reached out to NASA over a maneuver to prevent a possible collision between satellites, a space sustainability official said, marking a first for space traffic management. "For years, if

China reached out to NASA to avoid a potential satellite collision in 1st-of-its-kind space cooperation | Space

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