SpaceX says one of its satellites passed within roughly 200 meters of an unexpected object launched within 48 hours by CAS Space. SpaceX VP Michael Nicholls said no deconfliction or coordination was performed and the object's operator did not share trajectory information. Experts warn that as orbital traffic grows — potentially to more than 500,000 objects in LEO if planned launches proceed — collisions and dangerous debris are becoming more likely without a coordinated international tracking and traffic-management system.
SpaceX Satellite Nearly Collides With Untracked Object — Experts Warn Orbital Crashes Are 'Getting Likelier by the Day'
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is vast but increasingly crowded. As governments and private companies launch more satellites for communications, earth observation and research, the chance of dangerous close passes and collisions is rising.
SpaceX revealed that one of its satellites narrowly avoided a collision with an unexpected object recently launched as part of a CAS Space mission. According to Michael Nicholls, SpaceX's Vice President of Engineering, the other object had been launched within the previous 48 hours and the two spacecraft passed within roughly 200 meters of one another — a very small margin in orbital terms.
"No coordination or deconfliction with existing satellites operating in space was performed," Nicholls said, describing the encounter. Tech reporter Nicholas Werner observed that "in space terms, they basically high-fived."
Complicating attribution, CAS Space's mission reportedly carried payloads for multiple jurisdictions, including China, Nepal, Egypt and the European Union. Nicholls said the operator of the untracked object did not share its presence or trajectory with other satellite operators or tracking authorities, making it difficult to identify or mitigate the risk.
Why This Matters
Experts criticized the current patchwork of orbital surveillance and traffic-management systems. Without a widely adopted international framework for satellite registration, tracking and deconfliction, close passes like this one could produce new debris or trigger cascading collisions that endanger other spacecraft.
NASA has estimated that if all planned satellite launches proceed, more than 500,000 objects could occupy LEO — a level of traffic that would greatly increase collision risk and complicate space operations globally.
Industry leaders and space-policy experts are calling for stronger international coordination, improved transparency from launch operators, and a unified tracking and traffic-management system to reduce the risk of collisions and long-lived debris.
Implications
The incident underscores three urgent priorities: mandatory sharing of basic orbital data from launch operators, development of an international traffic-management regime, and expanded investment in orbital surveillance to protect both commercial and scientific missions.
Without these steps, the growing swarm of satellites and launches could create long-term hazards for space infrastructure and future access to low Earth orbit.
