Satellite Collisions Could Be Prevented With a New AI System
IEEE Spectrum - AI
Aug 17, 2025 13:00
Mark Thompson
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airesearchieeetechnology
Summary
The European Space Agency’s CREAM project uses AI to automate the detection and mitigation of satellite collision risks, addressing the growing challenge posed by over 11,000 active satellites and 1.2 million pieces of space debris. By streamlining threat assessment and response, this system reduces manual workload and communication errors, highlighting AI’s potential to enhance safety and efficiency in complex, high-stakes environments.
The numbers paint a stark picture of our orbital traffic problem: More than 11,000 active satellites currently circle Earth, with thousands more planned for launch in coming years. Even more concerning are the over 1.2 million pieces of space debris larger than one centimeter hurtling through space at incredible speeds. At those velocities, even a paint chip can damage a spacecraft, while larger debris can destroy entire satellites. This growing congestion has turned collision avoidance into a daily headache for satellite operators worldwide. Currently, teams of specialists must manually assess threats, calculate risks, and coordinate with other operators when collisions seem likely. This process is time consuming, labor intensive, and prone to communication breakdowns that can complicate emergency responses. That is where the European Space Agency’s Collision Risk Estimation and Automated Mitigation (CREAM) project comes in. It aims to revolutionize this chaotic process by automating