Earth’s Orbits Becoming More Congested With Satellites, Space Debris: Report

People watch the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 second-generation Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in Cocoa Beach, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2023. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Earth’s orbital space is becoming more congested after nearly 3,000 satellites were deployed last year, according to a new report from space technology firm Slingshot Aerospace.

A total of 2,877 satellites were deployed in 2023, up by 14.6 percent from the previous year, bringing the total number of active and inactive satellites in orbit to 12,597 as of the end of last year, according to the report. Of these, 3,356 are inactive satellites, and 5,648 of the 9,241 active satellites belong to Elon Musk’s Starlink.

Nearly 80 percent of the 2023 deployments, or 2,285, were communication satellites, according to the report.

“The industry has been saying space is becoming more congested for years, but now reality is setting in and the pressure is on to address the increasing risk in orbit,” Melissa Quinn, general manager of Slingshot Aerospace, said in an April 30 statement.

“With LEO [low Earth orbit] becoming more crowded than ever, there is a real risk to satellites that provide valuable services including internet, weather forecasting, and land-use tracking. This presents a critical need to work together in order to protect everyday life on Earth.”

The issue of space debris has long been cause for concern. The LEO, which is about 1,200 miles above the Earth’s surface, is an “orbital space junk yard,” NASA officials wrote in an article posted on its website last year. The space agency stated that there are “millions of pieces of space junk flying in LEO,” including parts of rockets and tiny flecks of paint from spacecraft.

Ms. Quinn said there are “thousands of inactive satellites” in LEO, among them 187 retired in 2023.

“If left alone, a LEO satellite can take years to decay naturally depending on its orbit, which adds to the congestion problem currently faced in LEO,” the statement reads.

The geosynchronous orbit (GEO), which is located about 22,000 miles above the surface of the Earth, is also getting more crowded. According to the report, the average distance between satellites in GEO decreased by 33 percent between 2010 and 2023, from about 280 miles to about 186 miles. The report predicted that the trend will continue as new satellites are deployed to GEO.

Ms. Quinn said that “the data shows that a congestion problem is brewing in GEO.”

“This closer proximity for operations means that the spacecraft that are responsible for critical infrastructure here on Earth are also feeling the squeeze of a more populated GEO regime,” reads the report, discussing the impact of shorter distances between GEO satellites.

As of the end of last year, there were 789 inactive satellites in GEO, according to the report.

“Of the 29 GEO satellites that were retired in 2023, 86% of them were moved to a graveyard orbit, which underscores the industry’s efforts towards sustainable practices,” Ms.Quinn said. “A graveyard orbit is where defunct GEO satellites are sustainably ‘buried.’”

As of the end of 2023, there were 508 GEO satellites in the graveyard orbit, according to the report. There were also 223 orbital launches in 2023, an increase of 19.9 percent from 2022.

“The U.S. took the lead in launch in 2022 and strongly held onto it in 2023, which in large part was due to SpaceX’s reusable technology,” the report reads. “The Russian launch count has been stagnating since 2020 due to geopolitical issues.

“The SpaceX/Starlink effect is the principal driver of U.S. superiority in deployments. China’s rise has been steady and continuous in recent years, but significantly less rapid than the United States. This is likely to change once China begins launching its own constellations that are intended to rival Starlink.”

In 2023, space insurers collected about $557 million in premiums but paid $995 million in total losses, according to the report.

“As technological advancements drive more launches and longer satellite lifespans, the industry anticipates rapid growth in orbital activity. With this continued growth, challenges such as space debris and insurance complexities necessitate ongoing vigilance and adaptation to ensure the sustainability of space operations,” the report reads.