Space remains one of the most fascinating enigmas that thrills our minds. This massive zone, which is still largely undiscovered, continues to intrigue the human mind.
As so, the ability to send satellites is no longer just in the hands of governments. Now, private companies owned by individuals can send satellites to space, which becomes populated with a huge number of satellites as well as with space junk.
This brings us to the question of how many satellites could be in space in the future.
The New Race to Space – Why Does It Matter?
Before we start, let’s go back in time. In the case of satellites and space, it all started as far back as 1957, way before the last moon landing. October 4th, 1957, was the date the first satellite arrived in space. The Soviet Union masterminded the design, launch, and management of the satellite, and Sputnik 1 success showed the potential of satellite technology. Since then, humanity has nurtured the ambition of colonizing borderless space.
In the beginning, the space race was largely controlled by global governments and military organizations. However, in recent years, private organizations have finally found their footing in the race, known as the new race to space.
Interestingly, the arrival of private organizations in race has been pivotal to the space narrative. The competition among participants has resulted in a significant reduction in the cost within the sector.
Even more recently, private companies have been exploring space tech to solve major global problems. Space X, for instance, has achieved immensely beneficial results with the Starlink program. It has changed the communications and internet service environment and set a new standard for the future of communications technology.
Other companies like Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos, have also been instrumental in providing logistic services to NASA. On the European continent, Virgin Galactic is taking space tourism to a different level.
As of July 2024, the Starlink active satellite count is reportedly 6,206. Several other companies in the space race have similar ambitions, and many more will join the race in the coming years. To put it in perspective, we may have more satellites in space in the future than the number of aircraft in the aviation sector at the moment. As a matter of fact, right now, there are more satellites in space than the number of airplanes in the sky at any given second.
All in all, while the space race is dominated by global billionaires and governments, the by-product of the race has been immensely beneficial to human advancements. Some of the key reasons for sending satellites include collecting data, investigating the universe, observing smoke and volcanoes, helping farmers determine what cop to plant, and providing crucial information about movement in Earth’s clouds, air, and oceans.
In short, sending satellites to space is a huge thing for humanity. And that’s the primary reason why so many players are fighting to get space in space…
How Many Satellites Could Be In Space in the Future?
The data for the year 2024 data shows that there are 10,019 active satellites in the Earth’s orbit. In the year that Sputnik was launched, 1957, the space only welcomed two satellites. But, ten years later, in 1967, about 159 satellites moved into space.
But now, the increase is exponential. Small, privately owned companies with a relatively small budget can send satellites to space. Now, we can speak in big numbers.
For instance, according to the Future Space Environment, the estimate is that more than 60,000 satellites will be used by the end of 2030.
Another prediction by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, suggest that by 2033, we’ll have somewhere between 20,000 and 100,000 satellites. However, McDowell have some concerns regarding to maintain a safe zone in space with so many satellites. According to McDoweel: “I am very skeptical that at the upper number of 100,000 things can be operated safely”. Either way, all estimations point to around 100,000 satellites by 2030.
Looking even further to 2040, some even suggest that there’s a possibility of 150,000-200,000 satellites in space by 2040, although that is a rough prediction.
Final word
In sum, the new race to space is not likely to get stopped anytime soon. In fact, the space economy is expected to be worth $1T by 2040, and space stocks and ETFs are slowly becoming more and more attractive. As these companies succeed to raise funds, it is more than likely to see more satellites in space in the future.
Launching 10,000 satellites into orbit in a year may become a walk in the park very soon. Plus, launching a satellite into orbit now costs a fraction of what was spent 10 or 20 years ago.
So, now we know we might have 100,000 satellites in space, who is going to be responsible to clean all the mess in space. That is, very likely, to be the next industry to invest in.
