"Oh? Collision Imminent" Why Elon Musk's Satellite Almost Caused a 'Traffic Accident' [Im Juhyung's Tech Talk]

SpaceX Satellite Crosses Paths with UK OneWeb Satellite
Nearly Causes World's First 'Space Traffic Accident'
As Satellites Increase in Earth's Orbit, Risk of Space Traffic Accidents Grows
Experts Call for 'Space Law' to Ensure Space Safety

In May 2019, 60 Starlink satellites loaded on the Falcon 9 rocket were aligned in the payload section. / Photo by SpaceX

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Recently, a satellite from SpaceX, a private space exploration company founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, nearly collided with a British satellite. Had the collision actually occurred, it would have been highlighted as humanity's first-ever "space traffic accident." As the number of satellites orbiting Earth increases, the risk of such accidents inevitably grows, prompting calls for regulations to ensure space safety.

According to local media outlets in the US and UK such as The Verge and The Telegraph, the incident took place on the 30th of last month (local time) in Earth's orbit. A Starlink satellite, part of SpaceX's internet-providing satellite constellation, and a satellite from OneWeb, a British satellite internet operator, narrowly passed each other.

The closest distance between the two satellites was reportedly only about 58 meters. While this distance seems large to the naked eye, if the companies operating the satellites had not adjusted their positions in time, a collision could have occurred, potentially resulting in humanity's first "space traffic accident."

An image depicting the trajectories of SpaceX Starlink satellites and UK OneWeb satellites owned by CEO Elon Musk. / Photo by Twitter Capture

Traffic accidents in space carry the risk of escalating into much larger disasters. When satellites collide in space, countless fragments break off. These fragments are only minimally affected by gravity, allowing them to spread hundreds to thousands of kilometers away. If these fragments collide with other satellites, creating even more debris, it could trigger an uncontrollable chain reaction.

Countries relying on satellites for various services?from GPS to communications?could suffer massive economic damage in an instant.

The problem is that the likelihood of space traffic accidents will only increase in the future.

The two companies involved in the near-collision, Elon Musk's SpaceX and OneWeb, in which the British government is a major shareholder, are leading competitors in establishing the world's first satellite-based 5G internet network. This service concept involves deploying thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit to provide dense internet coverage across the entire planet.

Therefore, satellite internet providers must launch thousands of satellites into Earth's orbit. SpaceX plans to deploy as many as 12,000 Starlink satellites by the mid-2020s. OneWeb also plans to initially deploy 650 satellites as a first phase and eventually launch up to 48,000 satellites.

Image depicting space debris currently concentrated in Earth's low orbit / Photo by NASA

Adding to this, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, recently unveiled his own satellite internet project called "Kuiper," signaling that the space race for dominance in satellite internet business will intensify further. In other words, Earth's orbit will inevitably become denser with tens of thousands of satellites, increasing the likelihood of collision accidents.

Consequently, calls for regulations to protect the safety and environment of space orbit are growing louder.

On the 15th, Steven Freeland, an emeritus professor at Western Sydney University in Australia, contributed an article to the academic media outlet The Conversation, stating, "As satellites like Starlink become more common, the risk of collision accidents inevitably increases," and proposed the introduction of "space law" as a way to regulate space companies and ensure safety.

According to Professor Freeland, space law is based on the "Outer Space Treaty" signed by the United Nations (UN) in 1967. Space law imposes obligations on governments and companies entering the space industry to suppress and clean up "space debris" (fragments generated by human activities in space such as rocket launches and satellite collisions).

Professor Freeland emphasized, "The future of humanity ultimately depends on our expansion into space," adding, "It is crucial for ensuring safety, security, and sustainability in space that nations and companies develop new technologies to remove space debris and legally regulate their use."