The issue of increased number of satellites and space debris has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, posing serious risks to the Earth. This issue primarily stems from the rapid advancements in technology and lack of international regulations on space activities. To mitigate the situation, stricter international space laws must be enforced, and reusable space technology should be developed.
One major cause of the increasing amount of space debris is the rapid improvement in technologies. Numerous space-based companies, such as Space-X, are constantly working on new models of satellites and trying them every year, causing many collisions of satellites and other space debris, which consequently multiplies the number of pieces of debris in Solar system exacerbating the situation. These types of companies are not the only ones who launch spacecraft, but also some others that improve the Internet quality. For example, China, Japan and other developed countries are sending satellites to the space to boost Internet speed. Although people can enjoy fast internet, many people overlook the dangers that they put on the Earth and humanity.
Another contributing factor to the problem is the lack of space regulations around the world, which obviously leads to carelessness of countries and space companies. Nowadays, literally any country can launch as many satellites as they want, often neglecting the potential side effects and long-term consequences of their actions. For instance, in the last two decades, Russia has launched an unpredictable number of spacecraft, most of them being unnecessary launches. The weakness and lack of regulations do not only affect to the number of launches but the quality as well, since these technologies cause many problems if they are not developed and updated regularly. As a result, the number of unregulated launches of poor quality has risen, resulting in many space accidents.
One of the most effective ways to address this matter is to establish better-structured and much stricter rules for space companies around the world. When people are told to stop something, they are highly likely to follow the regulations, especially when those laws are global and have drastic consequences for law-breakers. Limiting the number of launches for each country per year would encourage space organizations to work more wisely and to focus more on the quality rather than the quantity of launches, which would potentially reduce the number of unwanted incidents in the space. Furthermore, promoting the use of reusable spacecraft and satellites is another viable solution to mitigate the problem of space debris. Reusable rockets and satellites can significantly reduce the need for additional launches by allowing the same vehicle to be used multiple times. This approach not only minimizes the number of accidents and the amount of debris in the space, but it also reduces the overall expenditure of those companies.
In conclusion, the problem of increasing satellite launches and space debris has escalated into a global concern, mainly being caused by the rapid developments in technology and insufficient rules for space launches. However, the problems can be tackled with the help of new limitations and further development of reusable space vehicles, which, as a result, can reduce the risk and concern.