The sky above is about to change dramatically – not just for astronomers and stargazers, but potentially for humanity as a whole. Physicist Laura Grego warns that the launch of tens of thousands more satellites into Earth's orbit will fundamentally alter our relationship with space, making it increasingly congested and militarised.
Grego, speaking from Cambridge, Massachusetts, points to SpaceX alone seeking permission for up to one million additional units – a stark increase in orbital traffic. She cautions that this exponential growth will exacerbate issues like space debris and potential collisions, profoundly changing what we see in the night sky.
A research director for the Global Security programme at the Union of Concerned Scientists, Grego's work is a continuation of scientists taking responsibility to illuminate dangers. Like Leo Szilard's efforts to warn against atomic bomb use, she aims to educate policymakers and the public about the risks associated with space commercialisation and weaponisation – areas currently under-regulated.
Grego highlights that space has long held military significance, citing Sputnik 1 in 1957 as a geopolitical assertion of technological superiority. The close relationship between rocket launchers and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) means that the capacity to launch satellites inherently carries the potential for delivering nuclear weapons.
Despite the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which mandates peaceful use of space and prohibits nuclear weapons in orbit or on celestial bodies, there remains a critical gap in regulation. The treaty does not explicitly address weapons transiting through space or those placed into orbit that are not nuclear – a loophole Grego suggests allows for continued development and deployment of military capabilities in space.
Grego's advocacy includes explaining the practical limitations and dangers of proposed 'space weapons' to policymakers, an effort she admits is particularly challenging with the current US administration. She argues that a 'gung-ho' attitude often inspired by science fiction overlooks the serious real-world implications of escalating military activity in orbit.