SpaceX’s recent $75 billion IPO has elevated the company to a $1.8 trillion valuation, marking a turning point in the commercial space race. As private and government space programs accelerate launches, the amount of orbital debris in Low Earth Orbit is reaching critical levels. According to the European Space Agency, there are over 34,000 trackable objects larger than 10 centimeters, and hundreds of millions of smaller fragments, all traveling at speeds up to 28,000 km/h. These remnants—dead satellites, spent rocket stages, and collision fragments—pose serious risks to active missions and future space exploration.

The 1978 Kessler Syndrome theory warns of a cascade effect: one collision generates more debris, which leads to more collisions, potentially rendering entire orbital bands unusable. Already, operational satellites frequently perform avoidance maneuvers to dodge debris. The US Space Surveillance Network reports that 94% of objects in orbit are non-functional, including 16% inactive satellites and 12% rocket parts. Without coordinated global action, key orbits could become too hazardous for use.

India has pledged to make all its space missions debris-free by 2030. In December 2024, ISRO successfully de-orbited the upper stage of its PSLV-C60 rocket after scientific experiments, guiding it to reenter over the Indian Ocean. Such efforts highlight the technical and ethical responsibility to manage space sustainably. As investment and activity grow, international cooperation on debris mitigation will be essential to preserving access to space.