As Earth’s orbit gets more and more crowded, the European Space Agency (ESA) is stepping up its efforts to protect satellites and maintain the long-term sustainability of space.
With over 11,000 active satellites currently circling the planet, and more than tens of millions of them are expected to see more than 1.2 million fragments over 1 cm in the future, the challenge of avoiding intraordinary collisions has become a daily operational reality.
To meet this space traffic management challenge head on, ESA is taking on cutting-edge initiatives: the Collision Risk Estimation and Automatic Mitigation (Cream) project is a key component of the space safety program.
A new approach to space traffic management
Traditional collision avoidance requires satellite operators to manually assess potential threats, perform design operations, and coordinate with other operators. This is a time-consuming and often fragmented process.
Communication between stakeholders is ad hoc, inconsistent and sometimes complicated decisions.
The cream system aims to convert this. It provides a streamlined, technology-driven approach to space traffic management by automating many aspects of collision risk assessment, operational planning, and coordination.
The goals increase overall mission safety while reducing false alerts, speeding up decision-making, and significantly reducing operator workloads.
Connecting Global Space Communities
One of Cream’s most ambitious features is its ability to connect a wide network of stakeholders, from satellite operators and space situation awareness service providers to regulators and observers.
This interconnected ecosystem allows for faster and more transparent decisions, especially when two active satellites are on the collision course rather than debris of the inert universe.
In some cases, the system can even negotiate an operating contract between operators with minimal human involvement.
In the event of a dispute, cream can escalate them to mediation services, ensuring fairness and flexibility while keeping spatial assets safe.
From ground tests to orbit
The Cream Project, launched in 2020, has now reached an important milestone. Under GMV’s leadership, the system’s core components are integrated into a unified platform, thanks to contributions from GuardTime.
Currently, ground-based prototypes can already generate collision alerts, propose practical evasion operations, and support interoperable coordination. The next step is the expanded pilot phase, which adds more decision support technologies.
In parallel, ESA is preparing intraordinate demonstrations, including a “piggyback mission” in which creams are carried as digital payloads, and a dedicated mission to test its full functionality in real spatial conditions.
Supporting the development of space sustainability standards
Beyond immediate collision avoidance, cream helps shape the future of space traffic management regulations.
Establishing “road rules” on track has long been hampered by the chicken and egg dilemma. Rules are difficult to implement without applying technology, and adoption of technology is lagging behind without clear rules.
Embedding cream in a spaceship allows operators to seamlessly adhere to new best practices and international norms. Regulators will gain powerful monitoring tools to ensure compliance.
System adaptability means that non-technical users can update standards within the cream as regulations evolve, ensuring long-term relevance in rapidly changing orbital environments.
A safer future in space
Space traffic management is an urgent operational need as megaconcenters, commercial launches, and private operators flood low-earth orbits.
The ESA Cream Project represents a key step towards a coordinated, automated, fair system to prevent collisions, minimize the creation of space debris, and maintain the orbital environment of generations.
If successful, cream could become the backbone of the international spatial safety framework, and with the right tools, technology and collaboration, humankind can continue to explore and utilize spaces without turning them into junkyards that cannot be managed.
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