What exactly is 'manoeuvre coordination' and how does it differ from conjunction assessment?

Conjunction assessment identifies a potential collision risk and quantifies its probability. Manoeuvre coordination is the subsequent step: the two operators — or their delegated STM authorities — agree on who will manoeuvre, in which direction, by how much, and when, so that the proposed solution does not create a new conjunction or interfere with a third party. It is an operational dialogue, not just a data product.

Why can't a nation just rely on the US 18th Space Defense Squadron's free CDM service?

The 18th SDS service is genuinely valuable, but it is a foreign government providing data at its discretion, subject to its own operational priorities, classification decisions, and diplomatic relationships. During a geopolitical dispute or conflict, that service could be restricted or delayed. A sovereign STM capability means you hold the tracking, the screening, and the coordination authority yourself — you are not a supplicant.

What standard format do operators use to exchange manoeuvre coordination information?

The CCSDS Conjunction Data Message (CCSDS 508.0-B-1) is the dominant interoperability standard, encoding relative position, covariance matrices, and probability of collision. ESA's Space Debris Office and many commercial providers also exchange Orbit Ephemeris Messages (OEM, CCSDS 520.1-M-1) to enable independent conjunction screening before any manoeuvre is agreed.

How much does a collision avoidance manoeuvre actually cost an operator?

Direct propellant costs are modest — a typical LEO avoidance burn costs 0.1 to 2 m/s of delta-V — but the indirect costs dominate: mission interruption, payload downtime, replanning, and the propellant budget reduction that shortens satellite lifetime. Frequent manoeuvres on a five-year LEO satellite can reduce operational life by months, representing tens of millions of dollars in lost service.

Is there a legal obligation to manoeuvre if another operator asks you to?

No. Under current international law — principally the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and the 1972 Liability Convention — there is no enforceable duty to manoeuvre on another operator's request. The IADC guidelines (IADC-2002-01 Rev.7) are voluntary. This is precisely why nations building national STM authority operations benefit from domestic legislation that sets mandatory protocols for nationally licensed operators.

How does a small nation coordinate manoeuvres when it lacks its own tracking radar?

Three practical paths exist: (1) purchase commercial SSA data from providers such as LeoLabs, ExoAnalytic, or Slingshot Aerospace and use that to run your own conjunction screening; (2) become a Space-Track registered entity and access US government CDMs for your satellites; or (3) build or procure a small optical or radar tracking station. Satellize argues for path (3) as the only route to genuine independence, with paths (1) or (2) as interim measures while sovereign capability matures.

What happens when two large mega-constellation operators have a conjunction with each other — who coordinates?

Currently, bilateral agreements between operators (such as the SpaceX–Amazon Kuiper framework letters) handle this case, with each company running its own screening. ESA has published protocols for coordinating with Starlink. There is no independent neutral arbitrator. This is a structural gap that UN-OOSA and ITU are studying but have not resolved, and it represents a strong argument for a multilateral coordination regime backed by national STM authorities.

Can a nanosatellite or microsatellite constellation realistically participate in manoeuvre coordination?

Yes, but with constraints. Many CubeSats in the 1U–6U class lack propulsion entirely, making them passive collision risks that cannot manoeuvre regardless of coordination. Larger microsatellites (50–150 kg) with electric propulsion are increasingly capable of precision manoeuvres and can participate fully in CDM exchange workflows. When designing a sovereign STM capability, Satellize recommends mandating propulsion as a minimum requirement for any nationally licensed constellation asset.

14.1.3Live

Manoeuvre Coordination

Engineers at consoles in a satellite operations centre watching orbital tracking displays — Control room operations gain critical precision when satellite manoeuvre coordination delivers real-time situational awareness from orbit to the teams below.

Satellite Manoeuvre Coordination: Space to Operator

1
Constellation
Satellites broadcast precise ephemeris and status data
2
Downlink
Telemetry relayed via S-band ground station
3
Conjunction Analysis
AI screens close-approach probability thresholds
4
Manoeuvre Command
Operators uplink avoidance burn to spacecraft

Satellite telemetry flows to ground stations where conjunction analysis triggers coordinated avoidance manoeuvres, keeping orbital lanes collision-free.

Page in the build queue

This application has its place in the atlas. The full page — short and long descriptions, what-matters bullets, sovereignty rationale, and the eight-field architecture block — is being written next.

Maturity reading: Operational systems exist with paying customers. Phase 1 built §4.1 (Maritime Intelligence) end-to-end as the depth-and-format reference. Section 4 is the next section to graduate from scaffold to full content; the rest follow on the roadmap.

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Catalogue Maintenance

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STM Standards & Interoperability

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