CuBACO (Cubesat Board for Avoiding COllisions) has been launched—a project funded by ASI (Italian Space Agency) within the framework of the program dedicated to the safety and sustainability of Earth-orbit operations.
The goal of the project is to develop an innovative on-board system for CubeSats, the miniature satellites increasingly deployed for scientific, technological, and Earth observation missions. The system will combine GNSS satellite navigation—which provides highly accurate determination of the satellite’s orbital position—with intelligent software capable of autonomously assessing the risk of collision with other space objects.
Unlike traditional approaches, which rely on ground control centers and can suffer from communication delays of several hours, CuBACO will shift most of the decision-making directly on board the spacecraft. The system will be capable of analyzing potential conjunctions with other objects in real time and rapidly planning collision avoidance maneuvers (CAM).
This enhanced autonomy will enable more timely responses in an increasingly crowded orbital environment, contributing to safer space operations and mitigating the risk of collisions and the creation of new space debris.
