European Ways Forward for Space Traffic Management (SPACEWAYS)

SPACEWAYS intends to create a common understanding of the guidelines and standards necessary to develop a Space Traffic Management (STM) concept for the European Union (EU). It also aims to assess European technical available and required capabilities (notably in the field of SSA/SST technologies) with respect to STM requirements; and to provide a set of STM best practices and recommendations in line with EU interests. This includes the preservation of a safe, secure and sustainable space environment as well as the reinforcement of European sovereignty and competiveness.

Over its 18-month duration, SPACEWAYS’ first objective will be to analyse the policy, legal and economic context of STM. It will aim to better understand the STM concept’s dynamics worldwide and its consequences for Europe. While key space powers may attempt to create norms and regulations for future STM, SPACEWAYS intends to provide guidelines to support European policy making thereupon.

In parallel, another goal will be to assess European capabilities and technology gaps with respect to future STM requirements. SPACEWAYS will identify stakeholders and users’ needs by associating them to the project through a networking platform. It will also proceed to a complete analysis of technical needs defined by future STM possible regulations. Both SSA/SST capabilities and technological developments related to new space missions and functions will be analysed. Here, specific attention will be devoted to mega constellation management, on-orbit operations or launch and re-entry future activities.

These parallel lines of work will converge to produce a set of STM guidelines and best practices fully compatible with EU interests. They will be disseminated to relevant communities, to support the EU, as a major space and economic actor, to address future STM challenges.