Increasingly Crowded Space

At least two corporate initiatives, one from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and the other from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, intend to launch thousands of satellites into orbit to provide space-based broadband. These megaconstellations will join existing orbital infrastructure—in a zone without enforceable traffic rules and regulations.

Today most satellites are dedicated to surveillance, warning, command, control, and communication for the major powers. Space seems primed for conflict; China has already complained about close calls with SpaceX satellites, even as Russia tests its ability to destroy spacecraft—creating dangerous fragments that will persist in orbit for years. As George Perkovich writes in his review of a recent book about space expansionism, “It is becoming difficult to say which is more dangerous to international well-being, corporate or military quests for untrammeled advantage in space.” 

All these space activities—whether for private gain, military advantage, or scientific research—must contend with an increasing amount of orbital debris. Stephen J. Garber and Lisa Ruth Rand argue that this “space junk” is a form of pollution, and previous approaches to dealing with pollution may offer a model for mitigating and remediating orbital debris. They point to the Montreal Protocol, the international agreement that banned ozone-depleting chemicals, as offering relevant lessons for leaders with the foresight to address this growing problem.