Are We Prepared for the New Era of Spacefaring? – As the new space age picks up speed and more countries and companies get involved, it is increasingly difficult to manage risks.

From the article

>As the new space age picks up speed and more countries and companies get involved, it is increasingly difficult to manage risks to the environment, the economy, and the lives of astronauts and people on Earth. The exponential rise in untracked and uncontrollable objects in space increases the likelihood of collisions that could knock out global communication and navigation systems. Opportunities to use space for social and economic benefit are being hoarded by rich countries and businesses. China, India, Russia and the United States are locked in a race to deploy and test weapons in space. On its current trajectory, the new space age could be its own worst enemy. Existing treaties and agreements are simply not up to the task of governing space in ways that minimize the existential risks to humanity.

Also from the article

>But this new space age poses substantial risks. Orbital debris from inactive satellites, discarded rocket parts, and anti-satellite weapons tests threaten the space-based infrastructure on which our social and economic well-being now depends, as well as the lives of astronauts working on space stations. In addition to the 30,000 objects large enough to track, there are an estimated one million debris fragments — between one and 10 centimetres in diameter — that are too small to be picked up by ground-based radar and debris surveillance networks but could cause substantial damage if they collide with satellites and other orbital objects. Experts put the likelihood of future collisions at near certainty, with potential for cascading and catastrophic damage, including entire satellite communication systems being taken out and larger debris fragments falling to Earth and threatening lives and ecosystems.