According to the UK Space Agency’s National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) monthly bulletin on gov.uk, October 2025 saw increased levels of space activity. Uncontrolled re-entry and collision alerts both rose on September, yet the overall risk level remained below the 12-month rolling average. All NSpOC warning and protection services operated throughout.
NSpOC reported a 15% month-on-month rise in monitored re-entries. There were 54 re-entries in October, comprising 52 satellites and two rocket bodies. Across the last year the monthly total ranged from 34 in August to a peak of 129 in February, illustrating the variability that mission planners must accommodate.
Collision risks to UK-licensed satellites were higher in October, driven by more interactions between UK-licensed objects and other spacecraft or debris over the preceding 30 days. NSpOC recorded 2,398 collision alerts, up 56% on September’s 1,537 and the highest monthly figure since April 2025.
For operators, a higher alert volume typically means additional screening cycles, more time on conjunction assessment and, where necessary, avoidance manoeuvres. While individual risk remained manageable, the operational workload increased in October as UK missions responded to the greater number of potential conjunctions flagged by NSpOC.
The in-orbit population continued to expand. The US Satellite Catalogue saw a net addition of 160 objects in October, taking the total number of Registered Space Objects to 31,676. The UK Space Agency notes these figures can be revised as tracking approaches are refined; the total has risen by 1,793 across the 12-month series included in the bulletin.
No new fragmentation (break-up) incidents were recorded during the month. The absence of fresh debris-generating events supported the lower-than-average overall risk profile despite the higher alert activity.
Space weather was slightly elevated, with geomagnetic storms registered throughout October. This environment formed part of the month’s operating picture but did not push aggregate risk above the 12-month average, according to the UK Space Agency’s bulletin.