![]() ![]() In addition to LeoLabs’ exhaustive mapping and tracking, companies such as Astroscale are working on ways to extend the lives of satellites in space and developing technologies to actively remove objects from orbit. LeoLabs is just one of a slew of commercial companies trying to boost situational awareness in space and help preserve low-Earth orbit. ![]() Each event is estimated to have produced thousands of pieces of debris larger than the size of a golf ball, and even smaller, harder-to-track objects, according to the Secure World Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on space policy. These risks were amplified by a series of recent anti-satellite missile tests - one conducted by China in 2007, one by India in 2019 and one carried out by Russia last year - and a separate accidental collision between two satellites in 2009. “We’re looking at a 10 to 15 percent probability of a collision, which sounds unlikely, but by leaving these objects in orbit since the mid-’80s, we’re rolling the dice a lot.” “There are certain places in Earth orbit where we are destined to have a major event within the next five to 10 years,” he said. McKnight said “bad neighborhoods” have already emerged - areas in low-Earth orbit where big clouds of debris pose very real threats. And the amount of debris in space is expected to grow as launches continue. These strategies include purposefully commanding a spacecraft to “deorbit,” or burn up harmlessly in Earth’s atmosphere, or strand it in a higher, “graveyard” orbit away from the most congested sections around the planet. It has also become standard practice for satellite operators to have an end-of-life plan to cut down on the accumulation of space junk. And unlike defunct spacecraft that have languished in orbit for decades, most newer satellites can be maneuvered out of harm’s way, if necessary. The miniaturization of microprocessors and other components for building satellites also helped early private space companies get off the ground, said Charity Weeden, vice president of global space policy and government relations at Astroscale U.S., a private company that specializes in satellite servicing and orbital debris removal.īut placing all the blame on these megaconstellations is oversimplifying the problem, said Darren McKnight, a senior technical fellow at LeoLabs, a California-based aerospace company that operates networks of ground-based radars and tracking systems to monitor objects in low-Earth orbit and map their movements.įor one, operational satellites make up only a small fraction of the total number of objects in low-Earth orbit that pose collision risks, he said. “It’s from both traditional players that normally ignored small satellites but are now offering services and resources and then also new players that have come up in the past five to seven years to specifically address these booming markets.” “It’s a taboo word in the launch world, but we’re now seeing just an explosion of options,” he said. Safyan said Planet was able to build up its “flock” of satellites as more affordable rockets came to the fore, which eventually generated a cycle of supply and demand. “When we were starting the company about 10 years ago, it was hard to even get some of the launch providers to pay attention to us, because small sats were still viewed as kind of an academic hobby,” said Mike Safyan, Planet’s vice president of launch. Yet alongside the numerous benefits to society, increasing access to space and supporting an economy in orbit comes with its share of challenges, including how to balance a growing industry with the safe and sustainable use of outer space. ![]() Once a realm dominated by just a few spacefaring nations, the cosmos is opening up to nascent space programs around the world, to entrepreneurs and innovators, to commercial companies and even to students. “It’s a huge sea change from the former paradigm,” said Ariel Ekblaw, founder and director of the MIT Space Exploration Initiative. Smaller satellites and lower launch costs mean startups and students can sometimes launch projects for just a few thousand dollars. It has revamped the orbital landscape, dramatically expanding access to the cosmos and fueling what is projected to grow into a trillion-dollar commercial space industry.Ĭompanies that once had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to put a satellite into orbit can now do the same for a fraction of that price. The flurry of activity has been driven in recent decades by significantly lower costs to launch into space, the availability of smaller, cheaper components to build satellites and other spacecraft, and the growth of private space companies. ![]()
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