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Washington: Thousands of defunct satellites, parts of used rockets and pieces of debris created by collisions in space are posing a threat to future space missions, and private companies are finding new business opportunities in this danger.

According to Orbit Radar, approximately 30,000 objects are being tracked in space. Of these, approximately 18,500 are active satellites, while the rest are debris or parts of discarded rockets. The situation in low Earth orbit is rapidly changing. Thousands of satellites, along with debris generated by decades of space activities, are present here. This crisis is now laying the foundation for a new service industry in space.

The Japanese company Astroscale is developing spacecraft that can capture in-orbit objects and help remove them. The company has also demonstrated the ability to connect with other spacecraft in orbit. This task is extremely complex. Objects in low Earth orbit travel at speeds of about 7 to 8 kilometers per second, and many inactive satellites spin uncontrollably. The Luxembourg-based company ClearSpace wants to move beyond debris removal and create a market for satellite inspection, repair, maintenance, and life extension.

A single collision can create thousands of fragments.
According to reports, a collision with a satellite or rocket component can create thousands of new fragments. Astroscale’s Vice President of Commercial, Andrew Fiola, compared it to a grenade hitting a car. Small fragments are sent into different orbits and are sometimes so small that they are difficult to track from Earth. These fragments travel at speeds of thousands of kilometers per hour. Even a small fragment can cause serious damage to a satellite and pose a danger to astronauts. ClearSpace is working to develop a service infrastructure for space, similar to what exists for aviation and maritime transport on Earth.