The Future Role of OWL
in Managing Orbital
Congestion
As the widespread adoption of automobiles in the early 20th century spurred the development of traffic management systems, the growing congestion in space and the increasing number of satellites will soon necessitate similar solutions for the orbital environment. The OWL is poised to be a key player in this future space traffic infrastructure.
The role of OWL in satellite communication and collision avoidance
The OWL (Orbital Wearable Locator) is continuously evolving and has already demonstrated its capabilities in numerous missions while effectively performing its tasks. Since 2023, as part of the ESA-supported ARTES Advanced Technology program, when the project was carried out successfully, the OWL has completed its tasks on two satellites. However, the role of OWL does not end here.
It enables autonomous decision-making, allowing satellites to avoid collisions without human intervention.
SATELLITE -TO- SATELLITE COMMUNICATION
The OWL extends its capabilities beyond one-way communication with ground stations, now supporting two-way data exchange between satellites that reduces reliance on ground stations.
Using this capability, inter-satellite communication will play a key role in the WISDOM mission planned for the fall of 2025. Direct data exchange between the satellites will be particularly important, as two 3U-sized platforms will be deployed simultaneously. The goal is to demonstrate the importance of inter-satellite communication in various collision avoidance scenarios.
The development of the OWL is ongoing, with upcoming advancements set to include inter-satellite communication (ISL), enhanced computational capabilities, and autonomous operation via its integrated solar panel.
Compact and easily integrable with a variety of spacecraft, OWL with its flight heritage, is
already an essential component of next-generation space traffic management, offering a
reliable, scalable solution to the challenges of space sustainability.
