(Harleen Kaur, Intern Journalist) New Delhi Humans have tried to find many unresolved answers in space and stars for centuries. This attraction is more than philosophical, which is associated with the disposal of many problems on earth. This is why hundreds of satellites are being sent every year to the Earth’s orbit. There are many types of satellites, ranging from improving communication to monitoring the environment to border security. A total of six thousand satellites are orbiting around the Earth’s orbit and this number is steadily increasing.
Private companies’ growing steps
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, is the world’s largest commercial satellite operator. By April, SpaceX has enhanced navigation capabilities by launching 358 satellites and providing space-based Internet to the world. As of April, the company was operating 22 percent of the world’s operational satellite. Additionally, 175 satellites were launched between August and September 2020. In addition, Planet Labs has launched 246, Spire Global 89, Iridium 78, and One Web launched 74 satellites till April.
These countries dominate the space
It is no surprise that the US, China, and Russia top the list of countries with operational satellites. The space race began between 1950 and mid-1960s between the US and Russia (then the Soviet Union). Both countries are today among the top three satellite operator countries. Out of this, the United States has 1,308 or about half the satellites till April 2020, while China has about 356 and Russia has 167 satellites. At the same time, India has launched more than 100 satellites since 1975.
The race will increase in times to come
In the coming time, the race of satellites will be more rapid. According to Euroconsult, 990 satellites will be launched every year. This means that by 2028, the number of satellites in space will reach 15 thousand. SpaceX plans to send a group of 12,000 satellites into space, while Amazon has received approval to send a group of more than three thousand satellites into space.
61 percent connected to satellite communication
Today we are using satellite in GPS, navigation, and other similar applications. More than half of the satellite launched from Earth is commercialized. There is about 61 percent of the satellites that provide communication to us. Additionally, 27 percent of commercial satellites are launched to monitor the Earth. This includes everything from the detection of the environment to border security.
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