Developing a harmonized STM–ATM interface to support safe and sustainable aerospace operations

[Braunschweig, Darmstadt, Germany] – [11 March 2026] –  The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a contract to OKAPI:Orbits, in collaboration with the Institute of Space Systems from Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig) and the Institute of Flight Guidance from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), to lead a project that will bridge the gap between space traffic coordination (STC) and air traffic management (ATM). This development marks an important step toward integrated operations in an era of growing launch and re-entry activity.

The project responds to the growing interaction between space activities, such as launches and re-entries, and civil aviation. As launch rates increase and orbital congestion grows, air traffic authorities must be able to anticipate and manage space operations in a timely, reliable, and standardized manner. This activity represents an important step toward integrated aerospace operations in Europe.

To achieve this, ESA, OKAPI:Orbits, TU Braunschweig, and DLR will together address several key challenges in integrating space and air traffic systems. This includes defining realistic operational scenarios for launches and re-entries, developing methods to quantify uncertainties, and creating tools that allow air traffic management to respond dynamically to space activities. The interface will be designed to support both nominal and off-nominal conditions, including controlled and uncontrolled re-entries, ensuring robust coordination across domains.

Furthermore, the project will deliver prototype software and visualization tools that translate space traffic risks into actionable insights for air traffic services. These capabilities will support near-real-time decision-making and enhance operational resilience. A performance evaluation will validate accuracy, reliability, and scalability, laying the foundation for future standardization and operational deployment across Europe and beyond.

Operational and Regulatory Context

The need for closer integration between space and air traffic systems has become increasingly evident. An estimated 130 million space debris fragments currently orbit Earth, while only around 40,000 objects are actively catalogued and tracked. As satellite constellations expand and more spacecraft re-enter the atmosphere, the potential impact on aviation safety increases.

Although a recent incident initially led to suspicions of aircraft damage caused by space debris, later investigations showed that the impact had been caused by a component of a high altitude weather balloon. The attention this case received demonstrated how closely space activities and aviation operations are interconnected, reinforcing the importance of treating airspace and outer space as a connected safety domain.

Alignment with European and Global Policy

The project supports Europe’s evolving regulatory framework. The proposed EU Space Law emphasizes space safety, sustainability, and coordination across sectors, while explicitly recognizing the downstream effects of space activities on aviation and ground safety.

At the international level, the work aligns with the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Long Term Sustainability Guidelines and with cooperation between the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the International Civil Aviation Organization. These initiatives aim to reduce space debris, improve information exchange, and integrate space operations into aviation safety frameworks.

This collaboration brings together complementary expertise: TU Braunschweig, with decades of research in space systems and mission safety, brings scientific expertise in orbital dynamics and risk modeling. DLR contributes its leadership in air traffic management technologies and operational concepts, ensuring compatibility with existing ATM frameworks. Lastly, OKAPI:Orbits adds its experience in space traffic management and space situational awareness, providing solutions that already help satellite operators plan safe and sustainable missions.

While for ESA this initiative is a cornerstone in preparing for the next generation of space operations - where launches and re-entries must coexist seamlessly with global air traffic - it also gives OKAPI:Orbits the opportunity to extend its capabilities beyond space into integrated aerospace operations, contributing to a safer and more sustainable future.

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About ESA:

The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.

ESA is an intergovernmental organization, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA has 23 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia are Associate Members.

ESA has established formal cooperation with other four Member States of the EU. Canada takes part in some ESA programs under a Cooperation Agreement.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programs and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. It is working with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programs as well as with Eumetsat for the development of meteorological missions.

Learn more about ESA at www.esa.int

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About OKAPI:Orbits:

OKAPI:Orbits provides comprehensive Space Traffic Management (STM) solutions designed to ensure the safety and optimization of space missions. Its AI-driven platforms deliver advanced Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and STM capabilities, maximizing in-orbit safety, promoting space sustainability, and optimizing satellite operations. OKAPI:Orbits offers end-to-end solutions, from pre-launch to end-of-life.

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About TU Braunschweig:

TU Braunschweig, Germany, is located in the heart of Europe‘s most research-intensive region. In interdisciplinary and cross-faculty research centers, TU Braunschweig has been working for years on the topics of the future. TU Braunschweig focuses on four core research areas: Mobility, Metrology, Engineering for Health, and FutureCity. The TU space research cluster covers the topics of space physics, geophysics, and space electronics with a focus on scientific research into the solar system, microgravity research, space debris, and the technology of instrumentation and probes.

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About DLR:

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fürLuft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) is Germany’s national research and technology centrefor aeronautics, space, energy, transport, security and defence. DLR’s workspans a wide range of applications, delivering results and innovations thatbenefit industry and business, government agencies and the public sector. Atthe heart of DLR’s mission is its commitment to society, which it fulfilsthrough extensive knowledge sharing and targeted technology transfer. Thereforeit is funded through federal resources. The German Space Agency at DLR isresponsible for planning and implementing German space activities on behalf ofthe federal government. Additionally, two project management agencies at DLRmanage research and industrial funding programs.

The Institute of Flight Guidance focuses on airtraffic management systems and operational concepts, addressing integration ofspace operations and emerging flight technologies into controlled airspace.

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Contact:

For OKAPI:Orbits

João Saraiva

Marketing Manager

joao@okapiorbits.com

For Technische Universität Braunschweig

János Krüger

Science Communication Manager

janos.krueger@tu-braunschweig.de

For Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.

Jasmin Begli

Corporate Communications

Jasmin.Begli@dlr.de

For ESA

Simona Nichiteanu

Media Relations

media@esa.int

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