[IEEE Day] The Frontiers of Orbital Technologies

#ieeeday#AdvancingTechForUs

As part of "IEEE Day: Advancing Tech For Us", IEEE AESS/MTT-S ESPRIT SBJC organized an online session titled “The Frontiers of Orbital Technologies”: which gave a fascinating look at where the space industry is heading.

Our speaker delved into three major areas: the new space economy, the sustainability of Earth’s orbit, and the future of exploration beyond it. On the economic side, the session covered the ISS’s planned retirement in 2030 and the rise of commercial destinations from Axiom, Vast, and Starlab, along with zero-gravity factories producing flawless pharmaceutical crystals and ZBLAN fiber optics, and orbital datacenters powered by constant sunlight and cooled by the vacuum of space. The talk then turned to keeping orbit usable, from Mission Extension Vehicles and orbital tow trucks to the Kessler Syndrome threat posed by more than 30,000 pieces of trackable debris, and the nets, harpoons, and robotic tentacles being developed to remove it. Finally, it looked ahead to NASA’s CADRE mission and its “hive mind” approach to autonomous exploration.

Participants got the opportunity to explore the frontiers of orbital technologies, gaining a broader understanding of the innovations and challenges shaping the future of space. Supporting the 2025-2030 IEEE Strategic Plan goal to Inspire, the session sparked curiosity in the next generation of innovators by exploring what lies beyond Earth’s orbit.