2023 AGENDA

Tools and methods are already available in today's air traffic management to integrate individual launch events. However, these are not sufficient to ensure efficient airspace utilization even under the estimated and required launch frequencies. For this purpose, integration approaches are required that build in particular on dynamic airspace utilization and transfer and expand modern concepts such as Dynamic Mobile Areas (DMA) to the new requirements. This approach has also been envisioned in the new European Concept for Higher Airspace Operations developed by the SESAR ECHO project.
An important prerequisite for the implementation of dynamic airspace utilization elements for the integration of spacecraft is the development and provision of real-time information services that can monitor the progress of launch and reentry operations and provide the necessary time-critical safety information to all required stakeholders, in particular the relevant air navigation service providers and the European Network Management.
With the establishment of a Launch Coordination Center (LCC), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is addressing this need. A service is being developed with which missions can be supported and monitored in real time from launch through the airspace until the handover to space traffic management (or vice versa for re-entry and landing). The LCC aims to support traffic integration as early as the planning phase and allow for an optimized airspace utilization, minimizing the impact on air traffic while considering space mission requirements. In doing so, efficient procedures for scheduling launch and re-entry activities will be provided. For post-mission analysis, mission parameters will be processed and evaluated in relation to the impact on the air traffic system.