Satellites are objects that have been placed into orbit. Common types of satellites include observation satellites, communications satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and space telescopes. Space stations and human spacecraft in orbit are also satellites.
Satellites are set to grow by 1,000%+ in the next decade. They might help us predict pandemics and save the planet. There are guidelines for debris mitigation but, according to the European Space Agency, only 15-25% of satellites attempt to comply. [1]
The Kessler syndrome, proposed by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler in 1978, is a theoretical scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit due to space pollution is high enough that collisions between objects could cause a cascade in which each collision generates space debris that increases the likelihood of further collisions. [2] This would end space travel for a century. [3]