Traffic Jams in Space | Space Strategic Dialogue

Traffic jams and collisions aren’t just problems on Earth. Space may be vast, but Earth's busiest orbits are getting crowded as governments and companies launch more satellites. With spacecraft and debris traveling at extraordinary speeds, even small miscalculations can have serious consequences. Operators must navigate orbital hazards, interpret others’ spacecraft behaviors, and coordinate their actions—with implications for national security, commercial operations, and international cooperation.

Just how crowded are Earth's orbits becoming? What is the risk of collisions in space and how can they be prevented? How do operators distinguish routine activity from potentially hostile actions? And what technologies, investments, and policies are needed to manage these risks and improve coordination between governments and industry?

To discuss these questions and more, please join the CSIS Aerospace Security Project’s Space Strategic Dialogue for a conversation featuring Col. Barry Croker, USSF, commander of Mission Delta 2-Space Domain Awareness; Alvin Drew, director of NASA’s Space Traffic Operations Risk Management (STORM) Office; and Gabriel Swiney, acting deputy director and director of the Policy, Advocacy, and International Division at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce. The discussion will be moderated by Clayton Swope, deputy director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project. The event will open with welcome remarks by Kari Bingen, director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project, followed by introductory remarks by Tony Frazier, chief executive officer of LeoLabs.

The conversation will also feature compelling animations that bring the scale, speed, and complexity of orbital activity to life. 

The Strategic Space Dialogue is made possible by the generous support of LeoLabs. 

The animations are made possible by the Bertelsmann Foundation.