MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. The sanctions regime imposed by the European Union and the United States on Russia and other nations is increasing the risk of spacecraft collisions as satellite constellations expand, Yelena Pavlova, Chief Designer of a component of the Russian Automated Warning System on Hazardous Situations in Outer Space (ASPOS OKP), told TASS.
"Large low-Earth orbit satellite constellations are being expanded primarily by the Americans and the Chinese. While the Americans ensure collision safety for their own and European spacecraft (Starlink performed over 350,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers last year), they do not coordinate satellite trajectories with the Chinese or with the operators of the Rassvet satellites. This is a direct result of the sanctions policy pursued by the US and EU against 'unfriendly' Eastern states. Consequently, the simultaneous growth of these constellations significantly raises the probability of collisions due to the absence of universally accepted space traffic management rules," Pavlova noted.
According to her, the "layers" of the US military constellations Starshield and SDA pose a distinct threat. The US Space Command does not publish their orbital data, which also creates conditions for potential collisions with other space objects, the expert believes.