Now, a satellite system to combat space collisions
29th October, 2020
Context: Canada's NorthStar Earth & Space and Thales Alenia Space will begin work on a commercial satellite system to combat the threat of collisions in space.
They will build the first three satellites of its “Skylark” constellation.
This constellation would be the first commercial service to monitor objects like satellites in space from space, where they can be tracked more precisely than from Earth.
A full system of 12 satellites is expected to launch in 2024.
Data from the constellation could be used by groups from insurance companies to commercial satellite operators.
The 2009 collision between a spacecraft operated by U.S. communications group Iridium Satellite LLC and a Russian Cosmos-2251 military satellite sent at least 600 pieces of debris off into space and raised fears that other satellites could be struck and damaged.
Countries should levy an “orbit congestion charge” on satellite operators to tackle the growing concentration of space junk like debris, although others doubted the practicalities of such a fee.