Space has become a crowded place. Astronomers estimate that over 10,000 active satellites were in orbit last month — four times as many as just five years ago.
The surge in launches has ignited excitement about a new space race. But the cosmic traffic may be heading for a catastrophic crash.
Back on Earth, the UK’s Space Operations Centre is tracking the threats with growing alarm. In July alone, the centre warned British satellite operators of 1,795 collision risks. Across the previous six months, almost 12,000 alerts were sent.
Yet not every accident can be averted. In 2021, a Chinese military satellite was damaged by a chunk of Russian rocket. In March, a piece of space junk smashed through a Florida roof.
With satellite constellations proliferating, the threat of further accidents is increasing. That’s given spacetech startups a new focus: collision avoidance.
Europe has become fertile ground for their plans.
How to avoid space collisions
Several startups have turned their attentions to space junk.
Over 130 million lumps of trash are currently hurtling around Earth at speeds of up to 15km per second. If one of them hits a satellite, the impact can be devastating.
Spacetech offers an array of ways to tidy up the mess.
Swiss startup ClearSpace wants to use a litter-picking robot. The company has signed a contract with French rocket giant Arianespace for the debut mission.
Norway’s Solstorm has an entirely different idea: harnessing solar wind energy to deorbit the junk. The startup also offers collision detection.
Spanish startup IENAI has another propulsion plan. The company harnesses electrospray thrusters to avoid collisions and de-orbit defunct satellites.
ClearSpace aims to complete the first-ever removal of space debris from orbit in 2025. Credit: ESA
France has also produced eye-catching solutions.
One is Look Up Space, which builds radars on Earth to track junk in the skies. Another is Dark, which is constructing a rocket-powered boxing glove to punch debris away.
Across the German border, Munich’s Vyoma concentrates on space traffic management. By combining a sensor network with real-time mapping of space, the company could reduce collision risks.
Preparing for lift-off
All these startups still need to prove their concepts work in practice. Space experts hope that happens quickly.
“The risk of collision in the most crowded orbit — 800km from Earth — is now one in 1,000,” Pascal Lecointe, a space insurance expert, said in January.
“Just a few decades ago, when there were far fewer satellites and less space debris, the risk of collision was one in 1 million. “
With satellite launches showing no signs of slowing down, Lecointe expects the threat to grow. “We’re likely to see that risk climb even more to perhaps 1 in 100 over the next decade.”