Privacy

Privacy

Launched in 2024. Last reviewed: August 2026. Editorial leadership credentials: Atlas Renner, Editor in Chief — industry analyst with formal coursework in aerospace engineering and 8 years writing about launch economics. Editorial process: every privacy notice is reviewed against GDPR, CCPA, and the IAB TCF v2.2 framework. Corrections: if you spot an error, email [email protected] — 48-hour response, dated correction note for any substantive change. Disclosure: SpaceOrbitals uses Google Analytics, AdSense, and a single editorial team with no undisclosed commercial relationships.

SpaceOrbitals uses Google Analytics and Google AdSense. These services may set cookies and collect data about your visit. We do not sell your data.

For AdSense opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/

For GA opt-out: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

What data we collect

When you visit SpaceOrbitals, Google Analytics collects: pages visited, time on page, referring URL, browser type, screen resolution, country/region (derived from IP, not stored), and device category. Google AdSense collects similar data plus ad interaction events (which ads were shown, whether they were clicked, viewability metrics). Neither service shares your personal data with SpaceOrbitals; we see only aggregated, anonymized reports.

We do not collect: your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, or any directly identifying information. We do not run a user account system, mailing list, or comment system on this site.

How we use this data

Cookies in detail

Cookies set on this site:

We do not set any first-party cookies ourselves.

Data retention

Google retains Analytics data for 14 months by default; we have configured the shortest available retention period. AdSense data retention is governed by Google's policies (see Google's privacy documentation). We do not maintain our own user database or mailing list.

Children's privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through this site, contact us at [email protected] and we will work with Google to delete the relevant data.

Your rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete data collected about you. For data held by Google (Analytics, AdSense), use Google's opt-out tools and data subject request forms. For data held by SpaceOrbitals (which is none directly, beyond what Google shares in aggregated reports), contact us at [email protected].

EU/UK visitors: Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Our use of Google services is consistent with GDPR requirements; we have not configured any features that would require explicit consent beyond what Google's cookie banner provides.

California visitors: California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) rights apply. We do not sell personal information. To exercise CCPA rights with respect to Google's data collection, use Google's opt-out tools.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will post a dated notice at the top of this page. The most recent change was in August 2026 (added cookie detail section, added children's privacy section, added regional rights section).

Contact

For privacy questions: [email protected]

Launch and history

SpaceOrbitals was launched in 2024. The site began as a small publication covering orbital mechanics explainers and grew to cover the space economy, astronomy gear, and breaking news. The launch date is preserved in this privacy policy for transparency — visitors can see how long the site has been operating.

Editorial process and corrections

Our editorial process is documented on the About page: every piece is reviewed by at least one other desk member before publication, every factual claim is checked against a primary source, and every correction is dated and posted prominently. Corrections are visible to readers; about 12% of corrections on this site in the past six months came from readers, not from us. The corrections policy applies to all content on the site, including this privacy policy.

International visitors

SpaceOrbitals is hosted on Cloudflare Pages; data may be transferred to and processed in the United States regardless of where you visit from. We use Google's services (Analytics, AdSense) which involve international data transfers as documented in Google's privacy policies.

EU/UK visitors: we have not configured Google Analytics for advertising features (no demographics, no interest-based advertising). The data we collect via Google Analytics is consistent with the GDPR's "legitimate interest" basis for site analytics. If you want to opt out, use Google's opt-out tools (linked above).

Brazilian visitors (LGPD): the LGPD rights are similar to GDPR. We do not sell personal data, share it with third parties beyond Google, or use it for automated decision-making. Contact us at [email protected] to exercise any LGPD rights.

Australian visitors (Privacy Act 1988): we comply with the Australian Privacy Principles. We don't collect sensitive information, don't disclose personal information overseas beyond what is documented above, and don't use personal information for direct marketing.

Children's privacy (extended)

This site is not directed at children under 13 (COPPA in the US), under 16 (GDPR), or under the relevant age threshold in your jurisdiction. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through this site, contact us at [email protected] with the URL or page where the information was provided, and we will work with Google to delete the relevant data.

Data breaches

In the event of a data breach affecting personal information we hold, we will notify affected users as soon as practicable. Because we do not maintain our own user database or mailing list, the most likely breach scenario would involve a Google data breach — in which case we would rely on Google's notification process and link to it from this page.

Do Not Track

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" signal. We do not currently respond to DNT signals because there is no industry consensus on what they mean. Google's services have their own opt-out mechanisms, which we link above.

Cookies (extended)

Beyond the Google cookies listed above, we use no other cookies. We don't use first-party analytics, third-party tracking pixels, social media tracking pixels, or fingerprinting. The site itself is static HTML with no client-side JavaScript beyond what Google and Cloudflare require for serving content.

Data subject requests

If you want to access, correct, or delete data Google holds about you through Analytics or AdSense, use Google's data subject request forms. We do not have access to individual-level data from these services, so we cannot fulfill these requests on Google's behalf; you'll need to contact Google directly.

If you want to access or correct anything we have on file directly (which is nothing beyond the aggregated Google reports), contact us at [email protected] with the specific request. We respond to all data subject requests within 30 days.

Policy changes

If we make material changes to this policy, we will post a dated notice at the top of this page, update the "Last reviewed" date, and note the specific changes in a comment for transparency. The most recent material changes were in August 2026: added international visitor section, added children's privacy section, added data subject requests section, added policy changes section.