Latest news with #AaronBoley
NDTV
19-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
As Satellite Numbers Soar, Experts Warn Earth's Space May Soon Hit Its Limit
Ever wondered how many satellites are circling Earth right now? As of May 2025, over 11,700 active satellites are orbiting the planet, and the number is rising at a record pace. The dramatic surge is driven largely by private space firms like SpaceX, whose Starlink constellation alone accounts for over 7,400 satellites, or 60% of all active ones. In 2024, a rocket was launched every 34 hours on average, adding more than 2,800 new satellites to orbit in just one year, Live Science reported. According to astronomers and researchers, this satellite boom is just getting started. Experts predict that the number of active satellites could climb to 100,000 before stabilising, raising serious concerns about space traffic, debris, pollution, and interference with astronomy. What's Causing the Satellite Surge? The rise of commercial 'mega constellations', massive networks of satellites designed to provide global internet and communication services, is a key factor. Besides SpaceX's Starlink, other players like Amazon (Project Kuiper), OneWeb, and Chinese companies are aggressively expanding their presence in space. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell of Harvard & Smithsonian estimates the total number of satellites, including inactive or decommissioned ones, is close to 14,900. What's the Limit? Scientists refer to the "carrying capacity" of low-Earth orbit (LEO) - the maximum number of satellites that can safely coexist without a high risk of collisions. Experts believe that the limit is around 100,000 active satellites. At current launch rates, this could be reached before 2050. Why It Matters While satellites bring clear benefits like global connectivity and disaster monitoring, the surge raises multiple red flags: Space junk: Old satellites and rocket parts can crash into each other, creating debris that endangers missions and astronauts. Kessler Syndrome: A domino effect of collisions that could make certain orbits unusable. Light pollution: Bright satellites interfere with telescopes and stargazing, leaving streaks in astronomical images. Radio interference: Signals from satellites, especially Starlink, are disrupting sensitive radio astronomy. Atmospheric pollution: Rockets emit greenhouse gases; reentering satellites release metals that might disrupt Earth's magnetic field. What Experts Are Saying "It causes a space traffic management problem, interferes with astronomy, and creates atmospheric pollution," Canadian astronomer Aaron Boley told Live Science. He and other scientists argue for slowing down satellite launches until international space regulations catch up. While these networks help bridge the digital divide, especially in remote regions, experts are calling for caution and global cooperation to ensure that the benefits of satellite technology don't come at too high a cost for both space and Earth.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Planes could be in danger of falling space debris as recent SpaceX rocket explosion highlights new data
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Space rocket debris has an alarming high chance of impacting busy airspace every year, causing dangers to airline traffic, according to researchers at Canada's University of British Columbia. Using air traffic data from 2023, researchers calculated the probability of rocket debris re-entering busy airspace at 26%. While most debris from space missions burns up upon re-entry into the upper atmosphere, some pieces are still seen streaking through altitudes where aircraft fly, and even reaching the ground. Fortunately, out of the 258 rocket launches and 120 uncontrolled rocket debris re-entries in 2024, none were reported to have disastrous collisions with aircraft, but some experts warn it may only be a matter of time unless industry-wide changes are acted upon. "Uncontrolled rocket body re-entries are a design choice, not a necessity," Dr. Aaron Boley, an associate professor and co-author, said in a statement. "The space industry is effectively exporting its risk to airlines and passengers." Watch: Spacex Starship Test Flight Disintegrates After Launch, Debris In Skies Over Caribbean In late January, an explosion of a SpaceX Starship spacecraft over the Southwest Atlantic and northern Caribbean Sea caused chaos in the skies as pilots of commercial attempted to avoid debris raining down to Earth. The launch was SpaceX's seventh attempt at conducting a test mission of its prized spacecraft that one day could play a crucial role in crewed Artemis missions. "The recent explosion of a SpaceX Starship shortly after launch demonstrated the challenges of having to suddenly close airspace," Ewan Wright, lead author and doctoral student at UBC, stated. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk attributed the spacecraft's demise to a propellant leak that occurred after liftoff from the SpaceX launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Due to the risk of falling debris, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a debris alert for pilots, advising them to slow down and delay departures until the threat of collision was over. Piece Of Suspected Space Debris Found In Rural North CarolinaThe FAA reported no injuries from falling debris occurred in the skies; however, damage on the ground was reported in the Turks and Caicos, southeast of the Bahamas. To mitigate risks posed by space travel, researchers at UBC are advocating for rockets that are designed to re-enter the atmosphere in a controlled manner, which end up crashing harmlessly into the more than 70% of Earth's surface that is covered in water. The researchers admitted that any changes will likely have to start with coordinated actions of governments around the globe before being implemented across the space spectrum. "Countries and companies that launch satellites won't spend the money to improve their rockets' designs unless all of them are required to do so," Byers stated. "So, we need governments to come together and adopt some new standards here."Original article source: Planes could be in danger of falling space debris as recent SpaceX rocket explosion highlights new data
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Falling space debris is increasingly threatening airplanes, researchers say
Space debris from rocket bodies orbiting Earth is posing an increased threat to aircraft while falling from space, according to new research. While the probability of space junk striking an airplane is low, the risk is rising due to increases in both the aviation industry and the space flight industry, according to a paper published in Scientific Reports. Space junk originates from everything that is launched by human access to outer space -- including satellites and equipment for exploration, Aaron Boley, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of British Columbia and co-director of the Outer Space Institute, told ABC News. Rockets are used to insert satellites into orbit, and a lot of material gets left behind. "Now that we have such growth in our use of outer space, a lot of the problems associated with that are coming to bear," said Boley, one of the authors of the paper. MORE: Two North Carolina men find suspected space debris from same craft There are probably about 50,000 pieces of space junk the size of a softball or larger floating near Earth, Boley said. When considering objects between a centimeter or half a millimeter, the number is likely in the millions, he said. The objects in orbit are naturally decaying, much of it "uncontrollably," Boley said. "When they re-enter, they break apart and they do not demise entirely in the atmosphere," Boley said. MORE: Is Musk's Starlink polluting space? Researchers call for the FCC to pause launches When those objects re-enter Earth's atmosphere, they tend to ablate. As the material burns up, it melts and vaporizes -- basically turning into fine particulates, Boley said. The study focused especially on rocket bodies due to their size. Rocket bodies tend to be massive and heat resistant and pose casualty risks for people on the ground, at sea or in the air. The research broke down the risks depending on regions of airspace by tracking the highest density of air traffic using 2023 data. Places like Vancouver, Seattle and the Eastern seaboard had about a 25% chance each year of being disrupted by re-entry of space debris, the paper found. MORE: There's a small chance an asteroid could hit Earth within the next decade, says NASA Officials will be able to use that data to determine whether closing airspace is prudent, the authors said. "Someone has to decide whether they're going to roll the dice and say this is such a low probability that we don't need to take any action or out of the abundance of cost," Boley said. Conversely, taking action and closing down airspace could cause economic disruption and possibly cause other safety issues by diverting flights, Boley added. Ensuring aviation safety in context of a potential space junk strike was not taken into consideration until the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster, in which the spacecraft broke apart while re-entering the atmosphere. "Aircraft were flying through that debris after it had broken apart," Boley said. "...After the fact, when there was the post-analysis, they realized that that was actually a big safety issue for the aircraft in flight." The aviation industry is taking space debris into more consideration when making decisions to close airspace. In 2022, Spain and France closed some of the countries' airspace when a 20-ton rocket body was about to reenter the atmosphere, according to the paper. The rocket body ended up plummeting into the Pacific Ocean, the researchers said. The closure delayed 645 aircraft for about 30 minutes and diverted some of the planes that were already in the air. "This disruption is definitely happening, and it's going to be happening more," Boley said. Falling space debris is increasingly threatening airplanes, researchers say originally appeared on
