It is getting complicated for astronomers and scientists to observe planets from afar, as many billionaires have started flooding the Earth’s Orbits with Satellites. It is a crucial step for better economic activities, but simultaneously, the Earth’s orbit is getting way more crowded.
The authorities observed that the activity of planting more satellites has incessantly increased during the period 2020 and 2022. During this time, more satellites and space probes were launched than in 2010 and 2019.
Moreover, a report from OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) shows that the number of satellites has increased rapidly since the Starlink satellite's launch into orbit. SpaceX corporation is behind the invention of Starlink. They have decided to colonize Mars to better provide a connection to the internet all around the world.
The private spaceflight company SpaceX is behind the launch of more than 2,800 Starlink satellites. An ample amount of satellite is orbiting the Earth as of August 2022. Space is now more competitive and crowded, as the active number of satellites has skyrocketed.
In just a few years, the orbit has reached from 1,000 to more than 5,000 satellites. Undoubtedly, by the end of 2030, we will have 100,000 satellites orbiting the Earth, ensuring substantial deployment of mega-constellations.
Moreover, SpaceX aims to deploy global internet access to more than 12,000 satellites in lower-earth orbit. The founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, a man behind the formation of PayPal and CEO of Tesla, founded SpaceX in 2002.
Furthermore, 4,900 satellites are said to be roaming around the planet on Dec. 31, 2021. The record observed that the US owned more than 2,900 artificial satellites. China, on the other hand, is positioned in second place with 500 satellites.
The congestion over the space in the outer orbits has become increasingly disturbing. China recently tried to interfere with the invention of artificial satellites as they submitted a complaint to the UN space agency about the danger lurking in the Earth’s Orbit. China urged the UN to take immediate action against the congestion of the artificial satellite in space to avoid further damage.
We don’t want SpaceX to install more artificial satellites in the future to avoid disastrous circumstances later in life. The deployment of more mega-constellations can lead to negative effects on astronomy.
NASA also pointed out that these satellites are also interfering with science missions. For instance, the Hubble Space Telescope, climate monitoring satellites, and ground-based telescopes faced difficulty observing even deadly asteroids.
However, the global satellite industry is said to be profitable for the aerospace industry. During the years 2008 and 2018, the revenues of satellite manufacturers, operation, and maintenance have grown progressively. It earned $271 billion in 2020.
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