31/07/2026 22:16 - Tecnologia
Earth's orbit has become a zone of intense traffic. With the proliferation of megaconstellations of satellites for internet and communications, the amount of space debris is increasing at an unprecedented rate, prompting the international community to seek urgent technological solutions.
Currently, around 16,000 satellites orbit the Earth, serving as the backbone for GPS, weather forecasting, banking operations, and global communications. However, projections indicate that this number could reach between 60,000 and 100,000 satellites before 2030, as reported by AIM Digital. Companies like SpaceX, with over 10,000 satellites in orbit, and Blue Origin plan to launch hundreds of thousands more.
This saturation increases the risk of collisions and the phenomenon known as Kessler Syndrome, a chain reaction where impacts generate more fragments, making the safe use of space difficult. Furthermore, the fall of debris to Earth has become frequent: in 2024, equipment from the International Space Station fell on a house in Florida, and in early 2025, parts of a SpaceX rocket landed near a shopping center in Poland, as detailed by TN. Other incidents include a French rocket ring falling in Kenya in December, and a 3-ton Chinese satellite landing in Tenerife. Reentry alerts have jumped from 110 a decade ago to 820 last year.
A study presented at the 76th International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia, introduces a revolutionary method to identify space debris using radio telescopes. The Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Radar Programme (SHARP) applied micro-Doppler signature analysis to understand how objects orbiting the Earth rotate and what they are made of.
It is a technique that analyzes very small variations in radio signals reflected by space objects. By sending signals from a NASA station in Canberra, Australia, and receiving them with radio telescopes from CSIRO and the University of Tasmania, scientists were able to distinguish between simple shapes (like rocket cylinders) and complex structures (like satellites with antennas).
According to Infobae, between March 2021 and September 2025, the team observed 20 defunct rocket bodies and satellites, managing to reduce uncertainty in their trajectories by up to 30% and estimating their size with a margin of error of less than 10%. This technique offers a cost-effective alternative for monitoring high and geostationary orbits.
To prevent orbital chaos, the European Space Agency (ESA) and private companies are developing active cleanup technologies. These include robotic arms, capture nets, and autonomous docking systems designed to capture out-of-control objects and direct them into the atmosphere for disintegration, reports El Monitor Edomex.
At the same time, artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in preventing breakdowns. Federated learning allows each satellite to process its own information and share only the acquired knowledge, reducing energy and bandwidth consumption. This helps anticipate the deterioration of critical components, such as batteries, extending the lifespan of the equipment.
Current regulations do not keep pace with the rate of space development. A one-minute error in predicting an object's reentry can shift the landing zone by nearly 483 kilometers. Although Cold War UN treaties govern liability for damages, they are outdated in the face of the reality of private megaconstellations.
Fortunately, the global community is promoting new standards for satellite design and controlled deorbiting. With the combination of advanced detection, AI, and cleanup vehicles, the future of space looks safer and more sustainable, ensuring that orbits remain a vital bridge for humanity.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
