Question

Answer 1

Since the start of the space age, there has been a growing problem with space debris, similar to the issue of plastic pollution in the oceans. In the past, launching a satellite into orbit was a rare event, but today, the number of satellites is rapidly increasing. From just 6,000 satellites in 2022, estimates suggest there could be nearly 60,000 by 2030. Companies like SpaceX have launched large groups of satellites, such as Starlink, to improve global internet access. However, the regulations around space activity are outdated, with the main international law, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, being over 50 years old.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently tracking almost 37,000 pieces of space debris larger than 10 cm, but there are over a million smaller, yet still dangerous, pieces that cannot be tracked. This raises concerns about the Kessler effect, a theory suggesting that as more satellites are launched, the likelihood of collisions increases. These collisions create more debris, leading to even more crashes. If this continues, it could lead to a catastrophic chain reaction, where one collision triggers many more, potentially making certain orbits unusable and trapping humanity on Earth for centuries.