The number of active satellites orbiting Earth has risen by 29% in the past year to 16,819, according to the fourth edition of the Look Up x Le Point Quarterly Space Barometer.
The report, published ahead of the International Space Summit in Paris, found that 4,737 satellites were launched over the past 12 months, equivalent to nearly 13 launches per day. More than 34,000 objects, including satellites, rocket stages and catalogued space debris, are now being tracked in Earth orbit.
Starlink accounts for much of the growth. The constellation now has 11,041 active satellites, up from 8,267 a year earlier, and represents nearly two-thirds of the global active satellite population. Around 640 Starlink satellites are dedicated to its Direct to Cell service, according to the report.
China is also expanding its orbital presence, with 1,434 active satellites, up 26% year-on-year from 1,136. The report highlights the development of large low-Earth orbit constellations alongside increasingly advanced orbital manoeuvring capabilities.
The changing orbital environment is also reflected in satellite deorbiting and manoeuvring activity. Look Up recorded 1,412 objects deorbited over the past year, including 914 satellites, while 507 of the deorbited satellites were Starlink spacecraft. The report also points to recent pursuit-and-evasion activity between two True Anomaly satellites and the fragmentation of China’s Yaogan 50-02 satellite, which generated 42 catalogued debris objects.
Look Up said the increasing density of objects in orbit is creating growing challenges for space surveillance, safety, security, coordination and space traffic management.
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(Image: A satellite in orbit with the planet earth in the background, Freepik – Magnific.com)