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Key Concepts

This section introduces the core principles that underpin spaceflight safety practices in Satcat. It is intended for mission operators, analysts, and learners seeking to understand the standard methods used in conjunction assessment, collision avoidance, and coordination.

Spaceflight Safety Concepts​

  • Conjunction Assessment: identifying predicted close approaches between resident space objects, using trajectory catalogs and probabilistic risk metrics.
  • Collision Avoidance: evaluating options and deciding whether to act once a high-risk conjunction is identified.
  • Space Traffic Coordination: the communication and behavioral norms for operators navigating shared orbital domains.
  • Rules of the Road: Satcat's coordination protocol, assigning maneuver responsibility and carrying mitigation intent between operators.

The Space Safety Coalition​

The Space Safety Coalition (SSC) is a multi-stakeholder group promoting the long-term sustainability of orbital operations through the adoption of shared best practices.

Kayhan Space has endorsed the SSC's guidelines and incorporates its Rules of the Road into Satcat's maneuver responsibility and mitigation intent logic.

Kayhan Standards​

Satcat implements operational conventions based on the reference handbooks below, as well as additional internal standards for file formats, frame definitions, and operator-provided data. These are documented in Data Standards, under Satcat Operations.

References and Handbooks​

Satcat follows widely accepted guidelines and best practices from U.S. government agencies and international coalitions. Operators are strongly encouraged to review the following resources, which define many of the terms and methodologies used across this documentation set:

These references guide much of the terminology, conjunction event logic, and coordination roles described throughout this documentation.