EU officials and industry representatives have discussed new EU funding calls and plans for commercial space safety services at a forum meeting in Brussels.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) hosted the eighth meeting of the EU Industry and Start-ups Forum on Space Traffic Management, with about 140 participants from the EU commercial sector working on space situational awareness (SSA) and related services, the Commission announced on Thursday.
Attendees were briefed on forthcoming calls for both operational and research activities over the next two years.
Participants also heard details of a Luxembourg-sponsored call focused on developing advanced commercial SSA services using artificial intelligence.
SSA refers to tracking and understanding objects in space, such as satellites and debris, while space traffic management is about co-ordinating activity in orbit to help avoid collisions.
Consultation on a future “SSA marketplace”
The meeting included a presentation of a position paper on SSA by European space industry association ASD-Eurospace, alongside results from a consultation on a future “SSA marketplace."
The forum session ended with an exchange of views on Starlink’s plans for SSA services.
The EU Industry and Start-ups Forum on Space Traffic Management has more than 150 members drawn from more than 70 EU companies, including start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, mid-sized firms and large companies, as well as EU-based research and technology organisations.
The group helps set research and development priorities, with more than 80% of the available EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) budget tendered to EU industry.
