OKAPI:Orbits

OKAPI:Orbits, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Braunschweig, Germany, provides space traffic management (STM) and collision avoidance services for satellite operators — offering an independent European alternative to US government-provided Space-Track conjunction data products — while simultaneously developing the next generation of ESA's MASTER (Meteoroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference) debris environment model under ESA contract.

OKAPI's collision avoidance platform ingests conjunction data messages (CDMs) from Space-Track, commercial SSA providers (LeoLabs, ExoAnalytic), and OKAPI's own orbit determination analysis, then applies probabilistic risk assessment and maneuver optimization algorithms to recommend when satellites should execute avoidance maneuvers. The company reports reducing collision probabilities by up to 60% for subscribed satellite operators compared to operators using standard risk thresholds without OKAPI's optimized response protocols — by providing earlier warning, better probability of collision (Pc) estimates, and optimized maneuver solutions that minimize fuel expenditure while achieving adequate miss distance.

The MASTER model development contract positions OKAPI as the organization building ESA's authoritative reference model for the space debris environment — a statistical model describing the flux of debris objects as a function of size, altitude, inclination, and epoch that spacecraft designers use to size shielding, assess mission risk, and project conjunction warning rates for new satellites. Developing MASTER gives OKAPI deep expertise in debris population dynamics that directly informs its commercial STM products.

OKAPI serves as a European independent STM provider, important for European satellite operators who prefer not to depend on US government data pipelines that may impose export control restrictions or suffer service interruptions during geopolitical tensions. The company has raised €13 million in seed funding from European deep tech investors. OKAPI competes with LeoLabs, ExoAnalytic Solutions, and Slingshot Aerospace in the commercial space traffic management market.