INTRODUCTION
The United Nations Office for outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Index of Objects Launched into Outer Space counts a total of 17,852 objects, out of which 11,331 are currently registered having an ‘in orbit’ status.1 As of 19 September 2024, the satellite tracking website “Orbiting Now” lists 10,786 active satellites in various Earth orbits.2 Taking a closer look into satellite operators shows that the commercial space sector is taking the lead of the overall space landscape, with private companies owning most of the active satellites (over 60% among the top 10 satellite operators). 3
Such rates of commercial exploitation of space, coupled with an increasing number of private companies also launching and operating Space-as-a-Service business models, have made the application of satellites a standard enabling practice across a myriad of sectors and solutions. This includes phones and internet access, critical communications, satellite TV and radio broadcast, land and water resources monitoring, precision farming, remote sensing, management of remote infrastructure, and logistics package tracking, amongst others. Satellites have also been defined as central to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level4 , as well as the objectives of the EU’s green and digital transition5 .
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