
LEO Collision Window Shrinks to 2.8 Days, Study Warns
A new arXiv study introduces the CRASH Clock to estimate how quickly a major satellite collision could occur if orbital tracking or maneuvering fails. Results show a serious collision could happen in about 2.8 days if maneuvering is lost (5.5 days when all tracked objects are included), a sharp tightening from 164 days in 2018 due to denser mega-constellations and debris. The risk is amplified by solar storms that disrupt tracking, communications, and maneuvering, potentially triggering a rapid cascade of debris in low Earth orbit.



