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Loads of New Satellites Joining Earth’s Orbit Amid Space Junk Crisis

Efforts to remove increasing amounts of debris from Earth’s orbit is a big point of concern for the space industry.

In the past six decades, about 11,000 satellites have been added to Earth’s orbit. Adobe Stock
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Key Takeaways:

  • Space is rapidly becoming crowded with tens of thousands of new satellites and existing debris, significantly increasing the risk of high-speed collisions.
  • This growing orbital congestion raises concerns about "Kessler Syndrome," a cascading chain reaction of collisions that could render Earth's orbits unusable over decades.
  • While regulations exist for new satellites, there's an urgent need for active removal of existing space junk, with experts advocating for government funding due to the lack of a clear economic model for cleanup.
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The vast vacuum of space is getting…crowded. Nearly 70,000 satellites may be added to Earth’s orbit in the near future, according to consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

The boom in satellite deployment has likely been caused by increased interest in new markets and the more sophisticated use of satellites for things like worldwide broadband internet.

Jeremy Kariuki

Jeremy attained his bachelor's in journalism and emerging media from Kennesaw State University. He also served in the Georgia Air National Guard as a C-130 Crew Chief for six years, holding an associate in aircraft maintenance technology.

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