As the regions of space around Earth become increasingly crowded with new satellites, the most popular orbits of all are becoming hazardous. Beyond a point, the crowding will reach a level at which a collision between two objects would result in a cascade. The initial collision would lead to yet more collisions until Low Earth Orbit is a cloud of hypersonic bullets of shrapnel.

That is the doomsday scenario predicted by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978. But new technologies are being developed that enable companies and agencies to know precisely where their assets are in real time. Not only protecting against collisions, but improving outcomes and enabling new applications for Earth monitoring.  

New Space is here, and a range of technologies is being deployed to improve our lives and the environment back down on Earth.

Guests

Ane Aanesland, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ThrustMe

Mark Heine, Chief Executive Officer, Fugro

Javier Tegedor, Global Navigation Satellite System Scientist, Fugro

Pieter van Duijn, Chief Technology Officer, Loft Orbital

Tyler Jones, Senior Advisor – National Infrastructure, Norwegian Space Agency

Resources

For more information on the SpaceStar technology mentioned in this episode, click here

To read the European Space Agency’s latest Space Environment Report, click here

Partner

This episode is produced in partnership with Fugro. Fugro is the world’s leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Through integrated data acquisition, analysis and advice, Fugro unlocks insights from Geo-data to help clients design, build and operate their assets in a safe, sustainable and efficient manner.