Scientists are calling for environmental protections of space to be put in place to account for the increasing number of satellite launches.
As more satellites are launched, the problem of space debris gets worse and worse, and scientists have warned this could have long-term consequences for both scientific research and the well-being of people on the ground.
The European Space Agency also recently put out a report on space debris, mentioning that the increasing number of satellite launches, especially satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit like SpaceX’s Starlink, is creating an unsustainable impact on the space environment. According to ESA, there are more than 30,000 pieces of space debris that have been recorded in orbit around our planet, and according to models, there could be more than one million objects larger than 1 centimeter in size.
In their paper in the journal Nature Astronomy, the group of researchers warned that the accumulation of junk in orbit, such as satellites that no longer work or discarded rocket boosters, will impact a wide range of fields. As well as satellites interfering with astronomy research, the increasing amount of junk will interfere with what they call “public access to the stars” — the right of ordinary people to look up and see an unpolluted night sky.
One of the major problems of space debris is that, without serious actions taken soon, the issue will continue to get worse due to collisions. When two satellites collide, they create thousands of pieces of debris which is smeared across their orbits — and this debris can create yet more collisions.
The researchers argue that we should consider space through the same lens of environmentalism that we use for Earth, and take action to protect it. “We rely on the orbital space environment by looking through it, as well as by working within it,” they write. “Hence, we should consider damage to professional astronomy, public stargazing, and the cultural importance of the sky, as well as the sustainability of commercial, civic, and military activity in space.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
New Lightyear trailer leaves Buzz lost in space and in time | Digital TrendsPixar's story of the 'real' BuzzLightyear sends the hero on a journey that he may not come back from in the latest trailer from Lightyear.
Les mer »
House Democrats ask Environmental Protection Agency for more crypto oversightA group of over 20 House Democrats co-signed a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency addressing environmental concerns over crypto.
Les mer »
Godzilla and King Kong are stomping into Call of Duty | Digital TrendsGodzilla and Kong are appearing in CallofDuty for the mysterious new event Operation Monarch.
Les mer »
New EU Regulations Will Force Meta, Amazon, Apple And Other Tech Titans To Police Platforms Aggressively Or Face Stiff FinesThe European Union on Saturday announced a provisional agreement on the Digital Services Act which, according to the organization “will help to keep the digital space safe from illegal goods,…
Les mer »
Biden’s national forest order lays groundwork for ‘durable’ Tongass protections, environmental groups sayPresident Joe Biden signed an executive order on Earth Day, aimed at protecting the nation’s forests. Environmental groups hope the order leads to durable protections for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.
Les mer »
‘It’s like a church’: Resurrecting New Jersey’s Atlantic white cedar ghost forestsA team from New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection is using $19 million to restore 10,000 acres of Atlantic white cedar in areas where they are dead or dying.
Les mer »