In the past six decades, about 11,000 satellites have been added to Earth’s orbit.Adobe Stock
Key Takeaways:
Earth's orbit is becoming increasingly crowded with an anticipated 70,000 new satellites and existing debris, significantly raising the risk of catastrophic collisions.
This growing volume of space junk heightens the threat of "Kessler Syndrome," a chain reaction of collisions that could render critical orbital paths unusable for decades, comparable to the long-term impacts of climate change.
Despite private efforts to develop cleanup technologies, experts stress that governments, as major contributors to the problem, must urgently fund and implement widespread space debris remediation, a process that should have begun years ago.
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.
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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.
