Conjunction Analysis
Analyze potential collisions between space objects and receive recommendations for avoidance maneuvers.
Overview
Conjunction analysis evaluates:
- Time of Closest Approach (TCA) — When objects will be nearest
- Miss Distance — Predicted separation at TCA
- Collision Probability — Statistical likelihood of collision
- Avoidance Options — Maneuver recommendations if needed
Quick Start
from rotastellar import RotaStellarClient
client = RotaStellarClient(api_key="rs_...")
# Get conjunctions for a satellite
conjunctions = client.list_conjunctions(
satellite_id="STARLINK-1234",
threshold_km=5.0,
limit=10
)
for conj in conjunctions:
print(f"TCA: {conj['tca']}")
print(f"Miss distance: {conj['miss_distance_km']} km")
print(f"Probability: {conj['collision_probability']:.2e}")
print()
Get Conjunctions
Primary satellite (NORAD ID or name)
Maximum miss distance to report (km)
Prediction window (1-14 days)
Minimum collision probability to report (e.g., 1e-6)
Response
{
"conjunctions": [
{
"id": "conj_abc123",
"tca": "2026-01-23T14:32:15Z",
"primary": {
"id": "12345",
"name": "STARLINK-1234",
"operator": "SpaceX"
},
"secondary": {
"id": "45678",
"name": "COSMOS 2251 DEB",
"type": "DEBRIS"
},
"miss_km": 0.45,
"probability": 2.3e-5,
"risk_level": "HIGH",
"relative_velocity_km_s": 14.2,
"geometry": {
"radial_km": 0.12,
"in_track_km": 0.38,
"cross_track_km": 0.18
},
"covariance_available": true,
"data_quality": "GOOD"
}
],
"screening_window": {
"start": "2026-01-21T00:00:00Z",
"end": "2026-01-28T00:00:00Z"
},
"total_count": 12
}
Risk Levels
| Level | Probability Range | Recommended Action |
|---|
LOW | < 1e-5 | Monitor |
MEDIUM | 1e-5 to 1e-4 | Review, consider maneuver |
HIGH | 1e-4 to 1e-3 | Plan maneuver |
CRITICAL | > 1e-3 | Execute maneuver |
Conjunction Details
Get detailed information about a specific conjunction:
GET /v1/conjunctions/{conjunction_id}
# Get conjunction details via REST API
import requests
response = requests.get(
"https://api.rotastellar.com/v1/conjunctions/conj_abc123",
headers={"Authorization": "Bearer rs_your_api_key"}
)
conj = response.json()
print(f"TCA: {conj['tca']}")
print(f"Miss: {conj['miss_km']} km")
print(f"Radial: {conj['geometry']['radial_km']} km")
print(f"In-track: {conj['geometry']['in_track_km']} km")
print(f"Cross-track: {conj['geometry']['cross_track_km']} km")
# Check avoidance options
if conj['risk_level'] in ["HIGH", "CRITICAL"]:
for opt in conj.get('avoidance_options', []):
print(f"Maneuver: {opt['delta_v_m_s']} m/s at {opt['burn_time']}")
print(f"New miss distance: {opt['resulting_miss_km']} km")
Detailed Response
{
"id": "conj_abc123",
"tca": "2026-01-23T14:32:15Z",
"miss_km": 0.45,
"probability": 2.3e-5,
"risk_level": "HIGH",
"primary": {
"id": "12345",
"name": "STARLINK-1234",
"position_at_tca": {
"lat": 45.2,
"lon": -122.5,
"altitude_km": 550
}
},
"secondary": {
"id": "45678",
"name": "COSMOS 2251 DEB",
"position_at_tca": {
"lat": 45.3,
"lon": -122.4,
"altitude_km": 550.3
}
},
"geometry": {
"radial_km": 0.12,
"in_track_km": 0.38,
"cross_track_km": 0.18
},
"covariance": {
"primary_sigma_r_km": 0.05,
"primary_sigma_t_km": 0.15,
"primary_sigma_n_km": 0.02,
"secondary_sigma_r_km": 0.50,
"secondary_sigma_t_km": 1.50,
"secondary_sigma_n_km": 0.30
},
"avoidance_options": [
{
"type": "in_track",
"delta_v_m_s": 0.5,
"burn_time": "2026-01-23T10:00:00Z",
"resulting_miss_km": 5.2,
"fuel_cost_kg": 0.02
},
{
"type": "radial",
"delta_v_m_s": 0.3,
"burn_time": "2026-01-23T08:00:00Z",
"resulting_miss_km": 3.8,
"fuel_cost_kg": 0.012
}
],
"updates": [
{
"timestamp": "2026-01-21T12:00:00Z",
"miss_km": 0.52,
"probability": 1.8e-5
},
{
"timestamp": "2026-01-22T00:00:00Z",
"miss_km": 0.45,
"probability": 2.3e-5
}
]
}
Monitoring Conjunctions
Set up continuous monitoring for your satellites:
# Create a watch for conjunction alerts via REST API
import requests
response = requests.post(
"https://api.rotastellar.com/v1/conjunctions/watch",
headers={
"Authorization": "Bearer rs_your_api_key",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
},
json={
"satellites": ["SAT-001", "SAT-002", "SAT-003"],
"threshold_km": 5.0,
"min_probability": 1e-6,
"webhook_url": "https://your-app.com/conjunction-alerts"
}
)
watch = response.json()
print(f"Watch ID: {watch['id']}")
print(f"Status: {watch['status']}")
Fleet Screening
Screen multiple satellites at once:
# Screen entire constellation
satellites = ["SAT-001", "SAT-002", "SAT-003", "SAT-004"]
results = {}
for sat_id in satellites:
conjunctions = client.list_conjunctions(
satellite_id=sat_id,
threshold_km=5.0,
limit=50
)
results[sat_id] = conjunctions
for sat_id, conjunctions in results.items():
print(f"\n{sat_id}: {len(conjunctions)} conjunctions")
for conj in conjunctions:
print(f" - Miss: {conj['miss_distance_km']}km")
Next Steps
