Over the past decade, space has become increasingly cluttered with the growing number of spacecraft being sent into orbit. As these objects eventually disintegrate, they release polluting emissions that risk harming the upper atmosphere.
You can share an article by clicking on the share icons at the top right of it.
The total or partial reproduction of an article, without the prior written authorization of Le Monde, is strictly forbidden.
For more information, see our Terms and Conditions.
For all authorization requests, contact syndication@lemonde.fr.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/science/article/2024/11/28/are-space-activities-endangering-the-earth-s-upper-atmosphere_6734485_10.html
When looking at the spectacular test flights of SpaceX’s giant rocket Starship, the handful of manned flights to the International Space Station every year or the rare scientific probes exploring the Solar System, one might think that leaving Earth remains a rare event. However, this would be forgetting that the space sector has been in a frenzy of satellite launches for years now, which are taking place on an almost daily basis. There were 211 successful lift-offs in 2023, a record that is set to be broken in 2024.
Stijn Lemmens, a space debris expert at the European Space Agency (ESA), said that “over the last decade, space activities have grown exponentially.” This is largely due to Elon Musk, who not only implemented the concept of the reusable rocket but also began deploying his megaconstellation of Starlink satellites, delivering the internet from space. This program is being imitated by other players, both private, like Amazon, and state-owned, with China and the European Union also wanting their own megaconstellations.
The result: “In the last three years, we’ve seen more satellite launches than in the previous 60 years,” observed Lemmens. “Today, the annual number of satellites put into orbit is in the thousands, with over 2,400 objects in 2023, and this trend is set to continue. Over the next decade, we anticipate an influx into low-Earth orbit that could amount to several tens of thousands of satellites.”