The beginning of this decade has marked a new era for spaceflight. Since 2020 more satellites have been launched into orbit than ever before. Many of these satellites form part of large commercial constellations used to provide communication services around the world, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink. They offer new services but will challenge long-term sustainability. The number of tracked debris objects has risen to 34,000 as of June 2023, increasing the probability of in-orbit collisions. Space agencies are developing automated systems to help satellite operators do collision avoidance manoeuvres and they are also involved in active debris removal. ClearSpace-1 will be the first mission to remove a piece of space debris from orbit by capturing and safely bringing down a 112 kg defunct rocket part.
Source: European Space Agency, 2023.