Space Traffic Management

The number of satellites and debris in space is steadily increasing due to reusable launch vehicles, smaller satellites, and a growing number of private and public space actors.

The resulting congestion in space puts the security and resilience of EU and Member States space assets at risk: The likelihood of a satellite being severely damaged or destroyed in a collision is expected to increase dramatically if no action is taken. 

In light of an increasingly congested space, maintaining space as a resource for future generations becomes increasingly essential. The EU approach for Space Traffic Management (STM) therefore aims at keeping space operations safe, space orbits usable, and space accessible for decades to come while supporting and strengthening the competitiveness of the EU industry. 

The EU STM approach therefore calls for an EU contribution to a global challenge along four avenues. 

The Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee underlined the importance of and voiced their support for the EU STM approach in relevant Council Conclusions, EP Resolutions and EESC opinions. 

The EU STM approach proposes ten actions, several of which call for fora in which experts develop together with the Commission, the High Representative and other EU and European bodies commonly agreed solutions to STM. 

Mirroring the four avenues of the EU STM approach, the Stakeholder Mechanism on Space Traffic Management (STM) brings together the fora called for in the EU STM approach into one comprehensive structure. 

The STM stakeholder mechanism therefore consists of one main group and four subgroups which meet on a regular basis to gather inputs, ideas, and contributions to implement the ten actions outlined in the EU STM approach. 

EU (and Norwegian) civilian space operators and the European Defence Agency aggregating input of EU military space operators meet 2-3 times a year to gather STM requirements of both communities. While the group is still busy aggregating STM operator requirements, their input already shapes and informs EU policymaking and engagement. 

To learn more about their work, check out Space Traffic Management stakeholder mechanism (europa.eu) and navigate to STM subgroup 1. 

Monitoring space traffic is key to keep space assets safe. This is why EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) with its sensor network, processing capabilities and services is the operational backbone of the EU STM approach. 

EU SST also supports the development of EU industrial SST capabilities. This helps to boost the competitiveness and innovation of the EU SST private sector, support the rapidly growing demand for and development of new SST services, and improve and consolidate the autonomy of EU SST in all orbit regimes beyond the network of existing national assets. 

To do that, the Commission launched together with the EU SST Partnership the EU Industry and Start-ups Forum on STM (EISF) (STM subgroup 2) in which EU stakeholders incl. start-ups, SMEs, midcaps and large companies (and some EU research and technology organisations) jointly define research and development priorities for the Union’s space surveillance and tracking domain. 

European experts in the domains of standardisation and voluntary measures in the space sector work together with the European Commission to develop and promote non-binding initiatives such as guidelines and best practices on space traffic management. These non-binding initiatives aim at complementing the binding obligations outlined in the Commission proposal for an EU Space Act currently being negotiated by the co-legislators. 

To learn more about their work, check out Space Traffic Management stakeholder mechanism (europa.eu) and navigate to STM subgroup 3. 

To prepare the ground, DG DEFIS has been carrying out a range of activities: 

Studies and Workshops