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NASA Starling and SpaceX Starlink Improve Space Traffic Coordination
- NASA's Starling spacecraft swarm recently tested coordination with SpaceX's Starlink constellation to enhance space traffic coordination.
- The Starling mission began as a demonstration of autonomous planning and execution of orbital maneuvers, expanding to include maneuvers between the Starling swarm and Starlink satellites.
- Current space traffic coordination systems involve screening trajectories, alerting operators of potential conjunctions, and manual coordination to reduce collision probabilities.
- The Starling 1.5 experiment, led by NASA's Ames Research Center, aimed to improve autonomous maneuvering and coordination between satellite operators.
- NASA and SpaceX collaborated to design a conjunction screening service to enable operators to quickly receive and accept responsibility to maneuver away from potential collisions.
- The experiment successfully tested the system's performance by autonomously planning and executing maneuvers, validating SpaceX's Starlink screening service.
- Reducing the time needed to plan maneuvers could lead to more responsive satellite operations, enabling quicker adjustments for data collection or disaster response.
- The collaboration between NASA, Department of Commerce, and SpaceX in the Starling 1.5 project aims to advance spacecraft coordination, cooperation, and autonomy.
- The Starling projects, funded by NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology program, demonstrate advancements in space traffic coordination and autonomous systems.
- This partnership paves the way for improved access and utilization of low Earth orbit, contributing to the development of advanced space traffic coordination systems.
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