UK NSpOC October 2025: re-entries and alerts up
October brought a busier sky for the UK: more uncontrolled re-entries and more collision alerts than in September, according to the UK Government's National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC). Even with that uptick, overall risk sat below the 12-month rolling average.
All NSpOC warning and protection services ran throughout October, which means satellites licensed in the UK kept receiving timely alerts and avoidance advice. Think of NSpOC as the UK's space traffic service: it tracks objects, assesses hazards, and coordinates warnings.
On re-entry, NSpOC tracked a 15% month-on-month rise. Fifty-four objects came back through Earth's atmosphere: 52 were satellites and 2 were rocket bodies. Across the past year the monthly count ran 47 in November, 83 in December, 115 in January, 129 in February, 85 in March, 92 in April, 64 in May, 55 in June, 52 in July, 34 in August, 39 in September, and 54 in October.
Re-entry does not mean danger by default. Most hardware is small and breaks up on descent; agencies watch for the rare exceptions and issue notices when needed. What this means: you can hold the idea that activity rose while the assessed risk stayed comparatively low.
Collision risks to UK-licensed satellites were higher in October, up 56% on September because of more interactions with other spacecraft or debris over the preceding 30 days. NSpOC recorded 2,398 risk events in October after 1,537 in September; over the year the monthly figures were 2,722 in November, 2,142 in December, 2,694 in January, 2,567 in February, 2,588 in March, 2,620 in April, 1,546 in May, 1,259 in June, 1,038 in July, and 971 in August.
An alert here is a warning about a close approach, not proof of a crash. Operators might adjust orbits to widen the gap, or simply monitor if the probability is low. Reading the data well means asking what the baseline is, how large the change is, and whether it required action.
The in-orbit population kept growing. The US Satellite Catalogue added a net 160 objects in October, taking the Resident Space Object (RSO) count to 31,676. Monthly snapshots reported by government were 29,883 in November, 29,934 in December, 30,062 in January, 30,093 in February, 30,187 in March, 30,315 in April, 30,566 in May, 30,892 in June, 31,102 in July, 31,357 in August, 31,516 in September, and 31,676 in October.
Officials note that RSO counts can shift slightly as tracking improves and objects are reclassified. The figures above reflect the most current data in the UK Government's October 2025 update.
There were no new fragmentation incidents this month. A fragmentation is a break-up in orbit that can scatter debris and lift risk for many operators, so a zero count is steadying news.
Space weather was slightly elevated in October, with geomagnetic storms recorded through the month. For context, such storms can disturb radio, navigation and satellite systems, which is why engineers pair forecasts with collision-avoidance planning.
The big picture: October saw more alerts than September, but the overall risk level remained below the 12-month rolling average, according to the UK Government release. For you as a learner or teacher, that is a reminder to weigh monthly swings against longer trends.
If you are teaching this, turn the monthly series into a simple line graph and mark the rolling average. Discuss what drives the ups and downs-launch cycles, disposal plans, and atmospheric drag-and why vigilance and good data keep risk in check.