Gone are the days of traffic jams solely being a problem for drivers on their way to work: we now have to consider satellite congestion in outer space, too.
As it turns out, a growing number of active satellites is positively correlated to risks such as overlapping orbits and debris collision. And as impending launches draw closer, experts are exploring how LEO (or low Earth orbit) — the area around the Earth that has an altitude of less than 1,000 kilometers, or about 620 miles — can accommodate the increasing number of satellites the private sector is projected to deploy in a safe and sensible manner.
While LEO has not yet reached rush-hour levels of congestion, it's certainly on its way, according to Jonathan Rasmussen, an aerospace engineer who has studied the risk factors associated with orbital debris. “I hesitate to use the term ‘traffic jam’ since satellites can't sit idling on their orbital highways,” Rasmussen says. “But congestion is definitely a concern.”
