New satellites, existing satellites and the potential for Kessler Syndrome in space

There are thousands of space satellites floating in the skies, but only a fraction of them are still operational. The media has reported on the damage these satellites have done to astronomy, but with so many companies launching even more satellites to provide 5G coverage, there’s something people need to think about: What happens when space junk collides with other space junk?

Kessler Syndrome was proposed by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler in 1978. Some now say it’s an unavoidable disaster that is sure to happen. A collision with just two of the satellites currently in the skies could set up a chain reaction of collisions that could, in turn, create even more debris, a Forbes article said.

It’s happened before. A collision of two satellites in 2009 created hundreds of thousands of shards of space debris, Forbes said.

SpaceX, Amazon and OneWeb plan to put more than 18,000 satellites into a low-earth orbit. SpaceX is planning for 12,000, Amazon for more than 3,000 and 650 expected from OneWeb. The thrusters on these satellites are supposed to prevent these collisions, but if the artificial intelligence system in the satellite malfunctions because of existing space debris, a crash would be inevitable, the article said.

The onboard thrusters are meant to accomplish three goals: keep the satellites on the right path, with adequate spacing to provide the necessary internet coverage; to compensate for the drag from the Earth’s atmosphere; and make sure that necessary boosts or changes to orbit happen to avoid collisions.

There are conditions that can send charged particles away from the sun and toward the earth and toward the satellites that are in low-earth orbit. Space weather can cause serious issues that can disable these satellites or keep them from adjusting their course.

The amount of debris that already exists in the atmosphere is an issue. Several years ago, a satellite actually collided with the International Space Station and cracked a window.  If collisions did start some sort of chain reaction, it could affect military and scientific satellites that are already in orbit. Electrical grids could be knocked out all over the earth.

However, monitoring the sun from Earth with various observatories and adjusting the orbit of satellites before the space weather hits and causes serious problems is a possible way to prevent serious damage, according to Forbes.