Plus, there is something called the Kessler syndrome. Space is big, but not big enough for us to continue like this. So yes, we are talking about a cloud of debris surrounding the Earth.ĮSA and NASA estimates differ from each other’s, and from Manfletti’s, but she is speaking in general terms to estimate the risk. But there are millions of objects smaller than that. Then there are roughly 38,000 objects in orbit that are larger than 10 centimetres, and hundreds of thousands that are between one and 10 centimetres. Speaking off the top of my head, there are about 8,000 objects – complete satellites – in space, and about 6,000 of those are active.
In effect, it is a space traffic management system (STM), though the comparison with terrestrial air traffic management is far from exact. Professor Dr Chiara Manfletti is Director and COO of start-up Neuraspace, which is using AI and machine learning to protect space’s circular economy by predicting and preventing collisions. With the numbers of craft in orbit only increasing in the years ahead – and fuel and maintenance missions expensive – smart solutions are needed to prevent vital systems from adding to the cloud of broken things that circles the Earth. Essential services could be disrupted, and political repercussions might follow. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is.” But the space around Earth is increasingly cluttered with satellite constellations, telescopes, space stations, and a colossal amount of junk.Īs we rely more and more on satellites for communications, location services, broadcast signals, internet access, defence, security, and climate-monitoring sensor arrays, the economic fallout of those objects colliding with each other, or being taken out by a chunk of debris, could be massive.
As Douglas Adams memorably observed, “Space is big.
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