For The Expositor

Earth’s orbital environment is becoming increasingly crowded, with satellite traffic threatening ground-based astronomy and raising the risk of collision-generated debris and a possible Kessler Syndrome cascade. SpaceX has introduced measures such as anti-reflective coatings, sun visors, collision avoidance and controlled deorbiting for Starlink, but proposed growth to as many as one million satellites could make current safeguards unsustainable and harm the stratosphere and ozone layer. The column argues for a unified international space traffic authority, segregated orbital lanes and an enforceable treaty requiring environmental assessments before megaconstellations are approved.