Artemis Era Raises Safety Concerns as Lunar Orbit Nears Capacity, New Study Finds

With the increased pace of lunar exploration, scientists caution that there is increased moon traffic. Approximately a dozen missions were attempted in 2023 and 2024, almost half of them by private ones. The space between the moon and the sun is large, but only a few stable orbits are populated by missions. Georgia Tech simulations indicate that at approximately 50 satellites orbiting the Moon, approximately four avoidance maneuvers are required annually of each satellite. As NASA Artemis missions approach, the experts are advocating improvements in the coordination and safety of future missions.

Crowded lunar orbits

According to a report by Space.com, spacecraft headed to the Moon typically pick from just a few stable orbital paths, rather than spreading out in cislunar space. Even with a few satellites active, close approaches happen: India's Chandrayaan 2 orbiter executed three collision-avoidance burns over four years, even though only six satellites shared lunar orbit during that time. With about 10–20 missions planned in the coming years, operators expect to burn fuel on many more avoidance manoeuvres to protect their spacecraft.

Tracking and coordination efforts

Agencies are developing tools to manage lunar traffic. NASA collects trajectory data from all Moon missions, using a conjunction program to flag potential collisions. The U.S. Air Force is funding new cislunar sensors: in 2025 it backed a study to build a network of tracking satellites and is building an “Oracle-Prime” satellite to launch in 2027 toward the Earth–Moon L1 point. Europe's ESA plans a Lunar Environment Monitoring Observatory (LEMO) to apply Earth-orbit monitoring methods at the Moon. International forums are involved too: the UN's COPUOS has formed a study team on lunar traffic management.