New Delhi. Have you ever looked at the sky of the night and thought what is flying on you? By May 2025, more than 11,700 active satellites are revolving around the Earth and their number is increasing rapidly. According to Live Science, more than 2,800 new satellites were sent to classes in 2024. This means that about one rocket was launched every 34 hours. Most of this satellite explosion is being done by private space companies, especially by Spacex. The company’s Starlink Project has so far sent more than 7,400 satellites, which is about 60% of all today’s active satellites.
The main reason is the rise of ‘Mega Consultations’, which are huge satellite networks, which are aimed at providing internet and communication services all over the world. Apart from Spacex’s Starlink, other prominent players are:
Oneb
Many Chinese companies
These companies want to improve global internet coverage, especially in remote and rural areas. But with the attempt of this better connectivity, there are serious risks.
Experts say that there is a ‘Carring Capacity’ of low-Earth class (Leo), which is an area up to 2,000 km from the ground. This is the maximum number of satellites can be safely there without big problems.
According to scientists, this number is about 100,000 active satellites. Given the current launch rate, we can reach this extent before 2050. Overall, there are about 14,900 satellites in space, combining dead and passive satellites, it is said by Harvard and Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
