Story perspectives

Near Collision Sparks Debate on Satellite Coordination

12/14/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On December 9, 2025, CAS Space launched nine satellites from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with Kinetica 1 rocket, prompting a near collision with a SpaceX Starlink satellite.
SpaceX’s Michael Nicolls criticized the lack of deconfliction.
CAS Space said it followed mandatory protocols to avoid collisions, and the incident underscores coordination needs as satellite numbers rise from 3,400 in 2020 to about 13,000 in 2025, with Starlink able to maneuver autonomously.

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Story summary

On December 9, 2025, CAS Space launched nine satellites from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with Kinetica 1 rocket, prompting a near collision with a SpaceX Starlink satellite.
SpaceX’s Michael Nicolls criticized the lack of deconfliction.
CAS Space said it followed mandatory protocols to avoid collisions, and the incident underscores coordination needs as satellite numbers rise from 3,400 in 2020 to about 13,000 in 2025, with Starlink able to maneuver autonomously.