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In a rare move signaling the first instance of space safety cooperation between the two nations, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has reached out to NASA to coordinate a maneuver aimed at avoiding a potential satellite collision, according to Space.
NASA’s Director for Space Sustainability, Alvin Drew, revealed the incident during a plenary session at the International Astronautical Congress. He emphasized that this marks the first time in history that China has proactively initiated contact with the U.S. space agency regarding orbital traffic management.
“For years, whenever we detected a potential conjunction, we would inform the Chinese side that we would maneuver around their satellite,” Drew explained. “But just yesterday, the China National Space Administration reached out first and said, ‘We see a potential collision. We recommend you stay put — we’ll perform the maneuver.’”
Despite this exceptional exchange, direct communication between NASA and Chinese entities remains heavily restricted by the U.S. Wolf Amendment, which prohibits most federal agencies from engaging in bilateral scientific cooperation with China.
This instance, therefore, stands as an unprecedented example of practical space safety coordination between two major space powers. The event comes amid a rapid increase in the number of satellites orbiting Earth — driven by SpaceX’s Starlink constellation and China’s Guowang and Thousand Sails projects — which heightens the risk of collisions and underscores the need for global cooperation in space traffic management.
