On 8 April, EU SST held an online workshop that brought together over 60 representatives from the civil aviation and space safety sectors to examine the evolving needs of aviation stakeholders regarding the EU SST Re-entry Analysis service.
One of the primary objectives of the event was to analyse the feedback collected from civil aviation users on the impact of uncontrolled re-entry of space objects on their operations, a project which started at the end of Q3 last year. The consultation, conducted through an EU Survey, covered various aspects, including the type and update of information provided, preferred formats, coordination means and interfaces, and was complemented with interviews with key aviation stakeholders.
Re-entry event on the EU SST Portal showing the Flight Information Regions (FIRs)
The results confirmed the importance of tailoring the EU SST Re-entry Analysis service to better meet the needs and requirements of aviation users. Such needs concern among others:
- Dynamic reception of EU SST reports and information.
- Adaptation of risk metrics to aviation users, considering that safety risk assessment is of paramount importance for the aviation industry.
- Capability to address the impact of uncontrolled re-entries per selected Flight Information Regions (FIRs).
- Delimitation of areas along the objects’ re-entry trajectories (Travelling Box) where the presence of debris would be more likely.
The workshop also showcased the recent developments on the EU SST Service Provision Portal, particularly those concerning the Re-entry Analysis service. A real-time demonstration of the Portal underscored its potential to facilitate the integration of the Re-entry Analysis service into aviation stakeholders’ systems and processes. This development is another significant step towards better addressing the needs of aviation users.
Katerina Peña, from EUSPA, highlighted the progress achieved within the project so far on the tailoring of the operational report template, which should incorporate the outcomes of this workshop. The final results of the project will be delivered by June 2025, after which EU SST will evaluate the feasibility of implementing the proposed changes in the operational service.
The conclusion of the workshop provided a clear message: while the technical complexities of tracking re-entering space debris remain significant, ongoing collaboration between space and aviation communities is steadily leading the way for a more integrated, responsive and useful service. The feedback and insights gathered through the project and the workshop will be instrumental in shaping the future of the EU SST Re-entry Analysis service for aviation users. A high-level plan to evaluate how the service can meet the needs of the aviation community will be elaborated, including synchronisations, communications, and other activities.