The sky to get more crowded

Context: As the number of satellites have been drastically increasing in recent times, there is a need to devise a mechanism to deal with the problem of space debris.

Rising crowd in space:

• Space-X recently became the first private company to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and has plans to launch multiple satellites under its Starlink programme.
• ISRO estimates to participate in 15,000 launches in the next 5 years.

Significance of Satellites: Backbone of communications and data collection:

• The Starlink will enhance broadband coverage to facilitate locational data underpinning various services like delivering pizza and car navigation.
• Understanding weather and climate systems and useful in disaster management.
• Mapping and calculating forest cover, municipal tax assessments and civic constructions.
• Formidable force multiplier in military applications. 

Hazard due to satellites: 

• Interference with observations: which are carried out by Astronomers. Starlink satellites solves this issue by using visors to reduce reflection.

• Risk of collision: The debris move with speeds up to 8 km per second and acts as the potential hazard for other satellites in:

• Low Earth Orbit (less than 2000 km above earth): It has fast moving satellites and also consists of 20,000 pieces of junk threatening collision with the ISS.
• Clarke Belt: at 35,000 km containing geostationary (always at the same place) and geosynchronous (above same location at same time every day) satellites.

Way Forward:

• Proposed technical solutions: 

• • • • Using nets, harpoons or lasers to remove or destroy junk.
      • Inducing a crash once a satellite is past its use by date.

• Developing Space situational awareness: 

• Analytics Graphics has opened up Commercial Space operations Center to track both active and junk satellites.
• Lockheed Martin has set up a space debris tracking site in Western Australia.

• Charging orbital use fees: 

• This model is similar to carbon taxes where the price is calculated according to risks caused by a given satellite including collision risks.
• This fee would rise over times as the rise in the number of participants becomes proportional to collision risks.