Have you ever wondered how many human-made satellites are orbiting our planet right now? Make your wildest guess. 100? 500? Even if you managed to raise your guess up to 1,000, you will be surprised to know that the actual number is 7,941, as per The Conversation, a research news publisher. The first human-made satellite Sputnik was launched by Russia in 1957. After that, for the remaining half of the 20th century, about 60 to 100 satellites were launched every year.
In 2021, things are much different. With the latest communication technologies and the competition among communication provider companies, the launch rate has increased by more than 10 times. These satellites include not only research and weather observation initiatives, but also commercial projects by private companies.
As of September 16, about 1,400 satellites have been put into orbit this year. Just a few weeks ago, Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched 51 satellites to join its satellite internet project Starlink. With this launch, the company had over 1,700 Starlinks in orbit. The aerospace company has the approval to launch 12,000 satellites, which is a cause of worry for astronomers.
However, SpaceX is not the only company with a worldwide satellite internet plan. Amazon is set to take this to next level with its Project Kuiper. Satellite megaconstellations are planned by other companies as well, which are a matter of concern for scientists.
As per a 2019 paper published in Nature, scientists believe that the satellite megaconstellations could cause disruptions to radio frequencies used for astronomical observations, create bright streaks in the night sky. The increased congestion in the orbit may also lead to collisions.
While many potential problems which can be caused by sending such a huge number of satellites to space are still being studied, space debris remains one of the biggest threats.
According to a report by the European Space Agency, our current behaviour in space is not sustainable. Space junk can not only hamper future missions, but can also cause serious threats to astronauts aboard space stations. Agencies across the world are trying to build more sustainable rockets for sustainable space exploration.
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