A tense situation unfolded in the Earth's orbit recently when a newly launched Chinese satellite came alarmingly close to one of SpaceX's Starlink satellites. The near-collision, which saw the two objects pass within a mere 200 meters of each other, has ignited a debate over responsibility and the urgent need for better coordination in the increasingly crowded space environment.
The Incident and the Accusation
The event occurred a few days after a launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwestern China. The launch, conducted by CAS Space using its Kinetica-1/Lijian-1 rocket, successfully placed nine satellites into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of 550 km. The payload was international, including six Chinese satellites, two jointly-developed satellites for clients from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and a student-built satellite from Nepal.
However, according to SpaceX, one of these newly deployed satellites later veered dangerously close to an active Starlink satellite identified as STARLINK-6079 (56120) at an altitude of 560 km. Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, took to social media to highlight the incident. He blamed the lack of prior coordination and data sharing from the Chinese side for the risky encounter.
"When satellite operators do not share ephemeris for their satellites, dangerously close approaches can occur in space," Nicolls stated. He emphasized that as far as SpaceX was aware, no coordination or deconfliction was performed with existing satellites before the launch, leading directly to the 200-meter close approach.
CAS Space's Response and Defense
In response to the allegations, CAS Space told PCMag that it was in contact with Nicolls to learn more about the "alleged incident." The company defended its procedures, stating that all its launches undergo a mandatory process to align the deployment sequence with ground-based space awareness systems to avoid collisions with known objects.
The company clarified its role, noting, "As a launch service provider, our responsibility ends once the satellites are deployed, meaning we do not have control over the satellites' maneuvers." Nonetheless, CAS Space expressed a willingness to help, stating that avoiding collision is a common interest for all. Their immediate priority is to identify the exact timeline and determine which of the nine satellites was involved and whether the incident occurred during deployment or a later orbit maneuver.
CAS Space also framed the issue as a broader international concern, suggesting that "situations like these are the reason why nations should work together in space, build their common understanding instead of segregating emerging nations."
The Bigger Picture: A Crowded Sky Demands Cooperation
This incident underscores the growing space collision risk in low Earth orbit, which is now home to thousands of active satellites, including SpaceX's constellation of roughly 9,000 Starlink satellites. Michael Nicolls pointedly remarked that "Most of the risk of operating in space comes from the lack of coordination between satellite operators —this needs to change."
The standoff highlights a critical gap in global space traffic management. While companies and nations have protocols, there is no universally mandated system for real-time data sharing and collision avoidance maneuvers, especially involving satellites from different countries. As commercial and national launches increase, such close calls are likely to become more frequent, raising the stakes for establishing robust, cooperative norms to ensure the long-term sustainability of space operations.
