Earth:Space Safety Programme

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Short description: European Space Agency program


Detecting space hazards: ESA's graphic for the Space Situational Awareness programme

The Space Safety Programme (S2P), formerly the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme,[1][2] is an initiative by the European Space Agency (ESA) to monitor hazards from space, determine their risk, make this data available to the appropriate authorities, and where possible, mitigate the threat.[3] The programme focuses on 3 areas: space weather forecasting and nowcasting, asteroid impact prediction and prevention, and space debris mitigation.[4] S2P is being implemented as an optional ESA programme[5][6] with financial participation by 14 Member States.

History

Space weather effects
Heliophysics and Space Weather
Asteroid danger explained
ESA Optical Ground Station
Artist's impression of the Flyeye telescope
Artist's impression of Hera in orbit around Didymos
Concept for ESA's future space debris surveillance system
The history of space debris creation

The programme started in 2009 and its mandate was extended until 2019. The second phase of the programme received €46.5 million for the 2013–2016 period.[7] The original SSA Programme was designed to support Europe's independent space access and utilization through the timely and accurate information delivery regarding the space environment, particularly hazards to both in-orbit and ground infrastructure.[8] In 2019 it evolved into the present Space Safety Programme (S2P) with an expanded focus, also including missions and activities to mitigate and prevent dangers from space.[9]

Structure

The programme is split into three "Cornerstones" and six "COSMIC" areas:[10]

Space Weather Cornerstone

S2P's space weather projects are monitoring the activity of the Sun, the solar wind, and Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere, that can affect spaceborne and ground-based infrastructure or endanger human life or health. This data is processed and made available freely via the Space Weather Service Network.[11]

Upcoming deep-space missions such as Vigil, designed to observe the Sun from the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L5, will contribute to this monitoring system, allowing for timely warnings.[12] Earth-orbiting missions like Aurora-C and SWORD will form the Distributed Space Weather Sensor System (D3S).[4]

Planetary Defence Cornerstone

Planetary Defence at ESA focuses on detecting natural objects, such as asteroids and comets, which can potentially impact Earth, gathering observations from telescopes around the world and plotting their path through the sky to calculate the impact risk.[13] Another area of the Cornerstone's activity is coordinating the response to a possible impactor with the international community through groups such as the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN)[14] and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG).[15] The European asteroid observation network is coordinated by the S2P's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC).[4]

ESA is building the Flyeye network of automated ground-based telescopes to scan the sky every night for Near Earth Object (NEO) detection. The first telescope, built on Sicily, had its first light in 2025.[16][17][18][19] S2P is also developing the asteroid-detecting space telescope named NEOMIR that will be placed in the Sun–Earth Lagrange point L1.[4]

In October 2024, ESA launched the Hera mission, a follow-up to NASA's DART mission which performed the first kinetic impact test of Planetary Defence on 26 September 2022. Hera will rendezvous with the impacted Didymos binary asteroid system in 2026 to study the crater formed, the dust plume released, and more.[20] S2P is working on two other asteroid exploration missions, the Hera-derived Ramses and the smaller CubeSat-type Satis.[4]

ADRIOS Cornerstone

The Active Debris Removal & In-Orbit Servicing (ADRIOS) Cornerstone supports development of technologies for space debris removal and on-orbit servicing of satellites for sustainable use of space.[10]

Space debris projects at ESA are tracking active and inactive satellites and space debris to better understand the debris environment, providing data, analysis, and advice to spacecraft engineers to perform collision avoidance manoeuvres, as well as developing a system of automated collision avoidance. The space debris office also works with the international community on norms and standards for the sustainable future of space.[21][22][23][24]

Clean Space projects aim for systematically considering the entire life-cycle of space activities, from the early stages of conceptual design to the mission's end of life and beyond, to removal of space debris.[25][26][27] ESA Clean Space includes EcoDesign (embedding environmental sustainability within space mission design), management of end-of-life, developing technologies to prevent the creation of future debris, in-orbit servicing/active debris removal, removing spacecraft from orbit, and demonstrating in-orbit servicing of spacecraft.[28][29][30]

ESA is testing laser-based technologies for precise tracking, and possibly also remote deflection, of space debris at Izaña-1 and Izaña-2 laser-ranging stations at Teide Observatory on Tenerife.[31][32]

The Draco mission will study the process of satellite breakup during uncontrolled atmospheric reentry.[33] The first mission to remove a piece of space debris from orbit will be the ESA-commissioned ClearSpace-1.[34]

COSMIC areas

The "COSMIC" areas aim to develop and support:[10]

Space missions

  • Hera, launched October 2024 – European asteroid probe aimed at studying the effects of a NEO's impact created by NASA's DART mission using 65803 Didymos's moon (Dimorphos) as a target
  • Draco, launching in 2027 – small space capsule monitoring the breakup and demise processes of a re-entering satellite[36][37][33]
  • Ramses, launch planned for April 2028 – mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis
  • Satis, launch planned for April 2028 – cubesat mission to the near-Earth asteroid Apophis[38]
  • Aurora-D & Aurora-C, first launch planned for 2028 – a demonstrator satellite and a satellite constellation for Auroral oval monitoring[39][40]
  • e.Deorbit, cancelled – space debris removal demonstration mission, superseded by ClearSpace-1
  • ClearSpace-1, launching in 2029 – space debris removal demonstration mission with the objective of deorbiting PROBA-1
  • RISE, launching in 2029 – in-orbit servicing demonstration mission[41][42]
  • NEOMIR, launch planned for 2030 – asteroid-detecting space telescope in the Sun-Earth L1 point[43]
  • SWORD, launching in 2030 – two satellites in GTO-like orbit monitoring Earth's radiation belts[44][45][46]
  • Vigil, launching in 2031 – space weather mission to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 5
  • CAT (CApTure Payload Bay) – joint ESA-AEE mission to test a standardised docking interface for satellite removal[47]
  • SAILOR – space debris monitoring satellites using solar sail-like foils as impact detectors[48][49][50]

Former SSA programme (2009–2019)

See also

  • Kessler syndrome
  • United States Space Surveillance Network
  • List of European Space Agency programmes and missions

References

  1. ↑ "Space Weather and Space Safety Programme" (in en-US). https://swe.ssa.esa.int/space-weather-and-space-safety-programme. 
  2. ↑ https://www.belspo.be/belspo//space/doc/belspo_infosession/20250926_Belgian-CM25-Event/CM25-briefing-Space-Safety.pdf
  3. ↑ "Space Safety - Plans for the future". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Plans_for_the_future. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Space Safety Brochure CM25
  5. ↑ StudioDan (2020-10-01). "The ESA workshop on the Space Safety Program in Warsaw" (in pl-PL). https://space.biz.pl/the-esa-workshop-on-the-space-safety-program-in-warsaw/. 
  6. ↑ "ESA's collision risk estimation and automated mitigation (CREAM) project – status, results and future evolution". https://iafastro.directory/iac/archive/browse/IAC-23/A6/IPB/78918/. 
  7. ↑ "Space Safety main page". ESA. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety. 
  8. ↑ "About SSA". ESA. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Situational_Awareness/About_SSA. 
  9. ↑ ESA (9 Oct 2018). "Plans for the future". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Plans_for_the_future. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Space Safety Programme at 2025 Ministerial Council" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Safety_Programme_at_2025_Ministerial_Council. 
  11. ↑ "Current Space Weather" (in en-US). https://swe.ssa.esa.int/. 
  12. ↑ "Space weather and its hazards". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_weather_and_its_hazards3. 
  13. ↑ "Planetary Defence". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence. 
  14. ↑ "iawn: IAWN Home". https://iawn.net/. 
  15. ↑ "SMPAG". https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/topics/neos/smpag.html. 
  16. ↑ "Flyeye: ESA's bug-eyed asteroid hunters" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/Flyeye_ESA_s_bug-eyed_asteroid_hunters. 
  17. ↑ iain.todd@ourmedia.co.uk (2025-06-16). "ESA Flyeye telescope first light images" (in en). https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/esa-flyeye-telescope-first-light-images. 
  18. ↑ Croci, Fulvia (2025-06-05). "ESA's new asteroid hunter opens its eye to the sky" (in it-IT). https://www.asi.it/en/2025/06/esas-new-asteroid-hunter-opens-its-eye-to-the-sky/. 
  19. ↑ Faleti, Joshua (2025-06-06). "ESA's Flyeye Asteroid Detector Telescope Captures First Light Images" (in en-US). https://spacewatch.global/2025/06/esas-flyeye-asteroid-detector-telescope-captures-first-light-images/. 
  20. ↑ "About asteroids and Planetary Defence". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/About_asteroids_and_Planetary_Defence. 
  21. ↑ "Space Debris" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris. 
  22. ↑ "Space sustainability rating to shine a light on debris problem". 2021-06-17. https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Space_sustainability_rating_to_shine_light_on_debris_problem. 
  23. ↑ "Space debris by the numbers" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers. 
  24. ↑ "Automating collision avoidance" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Debris/Automating_collision_avoidance. 
  25. ↑ "Clean Space - The Challenge". https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/The_Challenge. 
  26. ↑ "Clean Space" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/. 
  27. ↑ "The Clean Space blog – The Right Way is the Clean Way". https://blogs.esa.int/cleanspace/. 
  28. ↑ "ecodesign" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/ecodesign. 
  29. ↑ "Zero Debris Technologies" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/Zero_Debris_Technologies. 
  30. ↑ "in-orbit servicing/active debris removal" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/in-orbit_servicing_active_debris_removal. 
  31. ↑ published, Keith Cooper (2025-09-15). "These 2 European telescopes use lasers to track potentially dangerous space junk (video)" (in en). https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/these-2-european-telescopes-use-lasers-to-track-potentially-dangerous-space-junk-video. 
  32. ↑ "ESA’s Izaña-1 laser ranging station for satellite & debris tracking | OPS Portal". https://esoc.esa.int/content/esa%E2%80%99s-iza%C3%B1a-1-laser-ranging-station-satellite-debris-tracking. 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Parsonson, Andrew (2024-09-25). "ESA Awards Contract for Capsule Designed for Destruction" (in en-US). https://europeanspaceflight.com/esa-awards-contract-for-capsule-designed-for-destruction/. 
  34. ↑ "It's time to clean up space junk before orbits become 'unusable,' according to new ESA report" (in en). 2025-04-12. https://www.livescience.com/space/its-time-to-clean-up-space-junk-before-orbits-become-unusable-according-to-new-esa-report. 
  35. ↑ "Competitiveness in Space Safety to enable European industry" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Competitiveness_in_Space_Safety_to_enable_European_industry. 
  36. ↑ Pultarova, Tereza (2024-09-25). "Satellite Break-up Experiment to Help ESA Learn How Satellites Die" (in en-US). https://payloadspace.com/satellite-break-up-experiment-to-help-esa-learn-how-satellites-die/. 
  37. ↑ Jilete, Beatriz; Lemmens, Stijn; Eynde, Jeroen Van Den; Rosenbaum, Alex; Climent, Sara Sanchis; Beck, James; Loehle, Stefan; Turchi, Alessandro et al. (2025). "DRACO scientific return concept: determining the truth of satellite demise". 9th European Conference on Space Debris. https://conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/sdc9/paper/242. 
  38. ↑ "ESA Technology CubeSats" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Technology_CubeSats/ESA_Technology_CubeSats. 
  39. ↑ "Space Weather Projects and Core Activities - CM22" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Space_Weather_Projects_and_Core_Activities_-_CM22. 
  40. ↑ "Aurora" (in en-GB). https://absolut-system.com/projets/our_projects/aurora/. 
  41. ↑ "ESA to build first in-orbit servicing mission with D-Orbit" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/ESA_to_build_first_in-orbit_servicing_mission_with_D-Orbit. 
  42. ↑ "RISE: ESA's mission extender in geostationary orbit" (in en). https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2025/07/RISE_ESA_s_mission_extender_in_geostationary_orbit. 
  43. ↑ "NEOMIR: finding risky asteroids outshone by the Sun" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Planetary_Defence/NEOMIR_finding_risky_asteroids_outshone_by_the_Sun. 
  44. ↑ "SWORD - a new ESA space weather mission to monitor Earth's radiation belts". https://indico.esa.int/event/527/contributions/10808/. 
  45. ↑ "SWORD - a new ESA space weather mission to monitor Earth's radiation belts". https://esww2024.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Heil_et_al.pdf. 
  46. ↑ "ESA Vigil (L5) and D3S missions update". https://www.cgms-info.org/Agendas/GetWpFile.ashx?wid=7cb201b3-484b-484e-be4d-ef9a7be218b7&aid=48a3ef49-7f3d-40b7-935a-a7f7831edd4c. 
  47. ↑ "Spain to support ESA satellite removal mission CAT" (in en). https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Clean_Space/Spain_to_support_ESA_satellite_removal_mission_CAT. 
  48. ↑ Varga, Bence T.; Keserű, Norbert; Fejes, Dániel; Schmuck, Bence; Burchell, Mark (2025). "A new large area detector for in-situ observation of small anthropogenic debris in Low Earth Orbit". 9th European Conference on Space Debris. https://conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/sdc9/paper/338. 
  49. ↑ Oikonomidou, Xanthi; Azzi, Soumaza; Horstmann, Andre; Braun, Vitali; Lemmens, Stijn; Virgili, Benjamin B. (2025). "Observing the Unseen: sub-cm space debris insights from European Space Agency's past and ongoing missions". 9th European Conference on Space Debris. https://conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/sdc9/paper/367. 
  50. ↑ Pfeiffer, Veronika (2025-06-09). "HPS prominently present at ESA's Zero Debris Week". https://www.hps-gmbh.com/en/hps-prominently-present-at-esas-zero-debris-week/. 
  51. ↑ "SWE Segment". ESA. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Situational_Awareness/Space_Weather_-_SWE_Segment. 
  52. ↑ "NEO Segment". ESA. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Situational_Awareness/Near-Earth_Objects_-_NEO_Segment. 
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 "SST Segment". ESA. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Situational_Awareness/Space_Surveillance_and_Tracking_-_SST_Segment. 
  54. ↑ "Europe's Radar Space Surveillance and Tracking Sensors". ESA. https://sst.ssa.esa.int/cwbi/general/radar_sens.xhtml. 
  55. ↑ "Europe's Optical Space Surveillance and Tracking Sensors". ESA. https://sst.ssa.esa.int/cwbi/general/optic_sens.xhtml. 
  56. ↑ "FLYEYE TELESCOPE". ESA. http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2016/10/Flyeye_telescope. 
  57. ↑ "Upcoming close approaches to earth". ESA. http://neo.ssa.esa.int/close-approaches. 



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