TECHNOLOGY

Space Traffic Control: time for a reboot

Silicon Valley, Tampa, USAFri Feb 07 2025
Thousands of satellites are orbiting Earth, and they are expected to double every two years. With so many satellites around now and more are expected to be launched, how do we prevent them from colliding? One important thing to note is that there are ships and aircraft on Earth with sensors that help keep them from crashing. These sensors help provide location and communication to help them navigate. The idea is that satellites should have something similar in order to communicate and avoid crashes. There are ground based radars that track objects in orbit. While this is good, it has its limits and can't track everything. This is why we need to step up and use technology to help. Satellites should be able to talk to each other and move around each other in order to avoid crashes. This is called automation. Another important thing to note is that the number of satellites in space is about the same as the number of aircraft in the sky. If you think about it, it is important that aircrafts don't crash into each other. The same should go for satellites. Besides the risk of accidental collisions, there are also risks associated with malicious activity in space. This is because people have realized that satellites are important and they are now at risk of being targeted. Not only that, but there are also bits and pieces of debris that are too small to be tracked and could pose a risk. One problem is that there are parts of space that are not being watched all the time. So there are satellites that can deploy other satellites and maybe even move around without us knowing. There are also cybersecurity risks and this is a major risk. It is a problem because it is easy for people to try and attack satellites. But this also means that there are ways to protect against these attacks. The key to solving these issues is to use technology to create new ways to keep satellites safe. To make this work, we need to think about how we can use technology to help satellites navigate. The key to solving this problem is by using technology to keep satellites from crashing. This involves using technology to help satellites talk to each other and move around each other.

questions

    What kind of regulations and international cooperation mechanisms are necessary to address the growing risk of both accidental and intentional threats in space?
    Are the 'zombie satellites' just a cover for more covert activities that governments don't want us to know about?
    If satellites are like the cars in space, does this mean we should start giving them parking tickets for bad behavior?

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