International Collaboration Using AI to Tackle Space Debris and Improve Space Safety and Sustainability

  1. An international collaboration, led by Strathclyde University’s Aerospace Centre for Excellence, is using AI to improve space operations, safety, and sustainability.
  2. The collaboration includes universities and space companies from various countries, including the UK, Canada, USA, and Australia.
  3. One of the main challenges facing the sector is space debris, with an estimated 130 million objects under 1cm orbiting Earth.
  4. The ‘AI4 Space Safety and Sustainability’ project aims to use machine learning to predict the motion of space objects, reducing the risk of collisions and improving space flight safety.
  5. The project will also demonstrate AI’s use in behavioral analysis of space objects and determining the impact on the space environment.
  6. The UK Space Agency’s £20m International Bilateral Fund supports the project, aiming to enhance space capabilities and catalyze investment into the UK economy.