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Recommended SSA/SDA Reading
Public resources and classic textbooks, arranged in a learning order from concepts to practice.
This list is this site's own recommendation from public sources. It is not an official syllabus, and the site has no partnership with the listed authors, publishers or organizations. Editions and course dates may change, so check the original pages.
Suggested learning order
Understand the problem
Learn about the orbital environment, debris and how SSA differs from SDA.
Build orbital foundations
Study orbital elements, coordinate systems and perturbations.
Work with TLE
Propagate orbits with SGP4 and see the data's limits for yourself.
Move to practice
Read conjunction handbooks and SDA doctrine to see how analysis supports decisions.
Stage 1: understand the problem (free)
- ESA Space Environment ReportThe annual report from ESA's Space Debris Office, useful for the current state of the orbital environment. Read it with the online statistics.
- NASA Orbital Debris Quarterly NewsA quarterly from NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office with research news and statistics.
- Handbook for New Actors in Space (2nd ed., 2024)From the Secure World Foundation. Covers law, policy and operations for readers new to the space sector.
- COMSPOC: What is Space Situational AwarenessA short explanation of how SSA turns observations into useful information.
- This site: What Is Space Domain Awareness?Compares how the US, Japan and South Korea build SDA, using public sources.
Stage 2: orbital mechanics textbooks
| Title | Author | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students | H. Curtis (Elsevier) | University-level start and a good first book. The 4th edition is available; check the publisher page for the 5th edition date |
| Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications (5th ed., 2022) | D. Vallado (Microcosm Press) | An advanced reference of over 1,100 pages covering coordinates and time, orbit determination, perturbations and mission analysis |
| Satellite Orbits: Models, Methods and Applications (2000) | O. Montenbruck, E. Gill (Springer) | Readers going deeper into orbit prediction and determination, including force models and numerical methods |
Stage 3: work with TLE
- Revisiting Spacetrack Report #3 (AIAA 2006-6753)By Vallado, Crawford, Hujsak and Kelso. Consolidates the SGP4 algorithm with source code and test cases, and is a key reference for using TLE.
- This site: 3D Orbit ViewerSearch satellites and check altitude, inclination and TLE age to build an intuition for orbits.
Practice idea: take TLE from different dates for one satellite, propagate each to the same moment and compare. You will see for yourself why TLE are not precise orbits.
Stage 4: practice and doctrine
- NASA Spacecraft Conjunction Assessment and Collision Avoidance Best Practices HandbookExplains how operators assess conjunctions and avoid collisions. The link is Rev 1 from 2023; NASA has since released Rev 2, so check the latest version too.
- Spaceflight Safety Handbook for Satellite OperatorsA handbook from US Space Force units explaining conjunction services and data for operators. The link is a third-party resource page, so confirm the version on Space-Track.
- STARCOM Digital LibraryThe US Space Force doctrine library, including SDP 3-100, Space Domain Awareness.
Courses and further study
- UNOOSA SSA online trainingFree online training from the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. The link is the 2024 session, so check the site for new ones.
- AIAA Fundamentals of Space Domain AwarenessAn online SDA short course from AIAA. See the course page for fees and dates.