Hard launch
We are launching more stuff into space than ever before. Indeed, us Earth-dwellers launched a record-breaking 2,664 objects into space last year… with the US — be that American companies or government agencies — responsible for 81% of them.
That’s per recent numbers from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), via Our World in Data, which revealed that the number of objects launched into space (everything from satellites to crewed spacecrafts) rose by almost 200 in 2023.
Brave new world
Decades on from the space race, the boom in launches has been variously attributed to lower launching costs, cheaper parts to build satellites and spacecrafts, and the rise of the private space industry, with companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX turning space exploration — that used to be a government-only-affair — into big business. As of last December, Musk’s company was responsible for more than 80% of commercial space launches in the US in 2023.
While there’s clearly rapid progress being made in the space space, some are starting to ask at what cost: for example, piles of junk and debris have been amassing over decades as Earth-orbiting objects deteriorate, which could artificially brighten the night sky and cause other unwanted side effects.
