During the last decade, only a thousand operational satellites have orbited the Earth, which is expected to increase in the next ten years. In 2022, an estimated total of 6 905 active satellites are orbiting the Earth, according to Statista. To revolutionize space technology, companies such as SpaceX launch advanced rockets and spacecraft to low Earth orbit.
Just this month, SpaceX lifted a new batch of satellites for internet service provider Starlink to help provide internet access coverage to more than 54 countries.
A New Batch of Broadband Satellites
On May 31, SpaceX lifted off more Starlink broadband satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California using a Falcon 9 rocket that carries 52 spacecraft. The launch vehicle's first stage returned to Earth on a ship at sea as planned about 8 minutes and 45 seconds after it was launched. It rests on the drone ship's deck, Of Course, I Still Love You, located in the Pacific Ocean.
This is the fourteenth launch and landing of the Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The previous 13 flights involved Crew-1 and Crew-2 astronaut missions sent by SpaceX to the International Space Station for NASA.
The launch came just a few hours after the return of a SpaceX Dragon capsule. It carries a spacecraft called Freedom which sent the private Ax-2 astronaut mission to the space station for Axiom Space Company.
Meanwhile, the launch vehicle's upper stage continues to haul the 52 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. They were all deployed 17.5 minutes after launch according to plan.
More than 4,500 Starlink satellites have been launched by SpaceX, about 4, 100 of which are currently active. In the future, the spacecraft engineering company plans to launch more satellites in the coming weeks and months. It has already granted permission to lift off 12,000 Starlink satellites and has gained approval to send another 30,000 on top of that.
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Controversies About Starlink Satellites
The first batch of Starlink satellites was deployed in 2019, and more satellites were permitted to be launched the following year. Since then, almost 2,000 satellites have been sent into low orbit to create an overheard network of spacecraft.
Starlink aims to provide low-cost internet service to remote areas on Earth. The private spaceflight company plans to launch 42,000 satellites as part of its ever-growing broadband mega constellation to make this possible.
Experts are concerned about the size and scale of the Starlink project since orbiting objects could interfere with astronomical observations of the universe. In addition, spaceflight safety experts claim that Starlink is the top source of collision hazards in the Earth's orbit.
Each Starlink satellite manufactured and launched by SpaceX has a lifespan of five years. Old satellites that are deorbited could release metals that will burn in the atmosphere and could trigger changes to our climate. Starlink satellites orbit 550 kilometers above the surface of the Earth, and they become a source of the spectacular show as they move across the sky. However, this can also significantly blocks both the optical and radio astronomical observations here on Earth.
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