Broadband internet mega-constellations were a key topic of discussion at last week’s 8th European Conference on Space Debris. There is a recognition that these networks – and there are many being planned and implemented – will change the nature of the space environment.
Indeed, it has some experts in the field wondering whether there is sufficient room to host the thousands of satellites envisioned this decade by numerous commercial interests.
“In certain orbital regions we come to a point where we have to decide about capacity; we have to decide if we can put there another 10,000 satellites even if we have all the technical measures in place,” said Thomas Schildknecht from the International Astronomical Union.
“There will be a maximum capacity and we need to work on these questions on an international level right now. We need to look forward because these constellations are putting in orbit 100 objects every month,”
Source: BBC news and IAU