The atmosphere is getting too crowded

What do Earth’s lower atmosphere and Canada’s major highways have in common? 

Too much dang traffic.

Driving the news: Satellites from Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink performed over 25,000 avoidance maneuvers over the course of six months this year, per its regulatory filings to the FCC—a sign that low-Earth orbit (LEO) is getting a little too crowded.

• While Starlink has a strict standard for what triggers such avoidance manoeuvres, there were still twice as many dodges compared to its last reporting period.
  

Why it matters: As more companies, including both Amazon and Canada’s own Telesat, pursue satellite internet offerings and other space endeavours, tens of thousands of new satellites could populate LEO by decade’s end, making crashes a common occurrence.  

• Satellite crashes could create more space junk, leading to disruptions to satellite comms, issues for space missions, and even errant junk falling back to Earth and killing people.
  
  
• The worst-case scenario would be Kessler Syndrome, where crashes leave LEO so debris-ridden that it becomes unusable. Some researchers fear it’s already begun.

Bottom line: Agencies around the world are working to clean up space junk and prevent this, but with all these satellites going up, a more coordinated effort might be needed.—QH