Traffic Jam In Space? Satellite Congestion in Planet's Low Orbit Could Impact Sunlight, Raises Major Concern Among Scientists For Future Exploration

It has been observed that there is a traffic jam in space due to an increasing congestion caused by satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The increasing congestion has become a major cause for concern, especially for the future of space activities. At the moment, there are over 14,000 satellites revolving around Earth, of which around 3500 are not active. Tens of thousands of additional satellites could enter the orbit in the near future. With thousands of satellites already revolving around Earth along with millions of pieces of debris from previous missions, add to it the new satellites, and the risk of collisions and hazardous space conditions is only increasing at a rapid pace. The congestion is posing a major threat to space exploration that will only continue to expand in the near future. It was also reported that the congestion in space could affect the way sunlight reaches Earth. Space Exploration in 2024: 5 Things to Know.

LEO is like a junk yard, but for space. Over millions of pieces of space junk, like bits of a spacecraft, debris caused by satellite launches, paint flecks from a spacecraft, collisions, parts of rockets, non-active satellites, or objects that exploded while flying around at a high speed in space, can be found flying in the orbit. The orbit is important for navigation, space exploration, global communications, and more. Experts state that the lack of international cooperation in how Low Earth Orbit is used is alarming, and if important steps are not taken immediately to remove space debris, the region could soon become unusable. This could have a major impact on scientific progress, global communications, space activities, and navigation systems. The most effective way to manage LEO is through coordinated efforts and international cooperation.

The United Nations panel suggested that using a comprehensive shared database could help manage the situation. However, the step could pose several challenges, as this would require some countries to share data. Even though some might be open to the idea, many are reluctant to share any data with the fear of confidential information being exposed. To avoid this, many countries use informal methods to avoid collisions, but this only further complicates the situation. ISRO Confident of Making Bhartiya Antriksh Space Station a Launching Point for Lunar Exploration: Dr S. Somanath.

It appears that countries and commercial entities need to reconsider their satellite dispatching. It has been advised that countries, for the moment, must stop or reduce satellite launches, with a push being given to clean up astral litter through various initiatives.

When it comes to space junk, it is not just the responsibility of one country but of every country that ventures into space. Managing the congestion and space debris is certainly a challenge, but the space environment must be protected for future explorations. Various programmes that can help create less space debris are underway, and equipment that can track and remove the junk already present in space is being used to reduce the congestion.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 04, 2024 10:22 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).