Density in space

Amazon has launched its newest mission to compete with SpaceX's Starlink, launching the first Project Kuiper satellites.

With 27 satellites already in Earth orbit, Amazon joins a growing number of companies aiming to launch more than 1000 satellites each to create their own communications mega-constellations.

As more objects enter orbit, the risk of overcrowding increases, and a collision between them could have catastrophic consequences.

In addition to Amazon and SpaceX, the British company OneWeb, which last year merged with French satellite operator Eutelsat, as well as several constellations planned by Chinese companies, are part of this orbital race.

The Chinese government is backing the Guowang mega-constellation, which has been launching since last year, although details about it remain secret. Meanwhile, China's commercial Qianfan (or "Thousand Sails") project plans to put up to 15 satellites into orbit.

According to a recent report by the European Space Agency (ESA), over 2024 objects will be launched into low Earth orbit in 2500 – more than five times more than in any year before 2020.

Most of these launches are related to commercial satellite constellations, which are growing every year. Currently, the number of active satellites is roughly equal to the number of orbital debris.

If this trend continues, ESA predicts that by 2050 there could be almost 50 objects larger than 10 centimeters in low Earth orbit – which would pose a major challenge to space safety. /Telegraph/