New study warns low Earth orbit is becoming dangerously crowded

New study warns low Earth orbit is becoming dangerously crowded (Image: Canva)

The area up to 2,000 kilometres high known as low Earth orbit (LEO), is getting really crowded. A study shows a huge jump from about 13,700 in 2019 to over 24,000 in early 2025 in just six years. The main reason behind orbit getting crowded is because of satellites being sent into space for global internet and taking pictures of Earth.

More Traffic, More Bumps

Back in 2019, not many satellites had to swerve to miss hitting things. Less than one in 500 needed to do it more than ten times a month. Now, in 2025, that number has risen to about 1.4%, or almost 340 satellites. Experts say all these near misses make it more likely that satellites will crash into each other, creating a bunch of space junk.

Who Conducted This Study?

The study was conducted by researchers analysing satellite traffic data. This data highlights the increasing congestion in low Earth orbit (LEO). The findings underscore the growing challenges posed by the rapid deployment of satellite constellations and the need for coordinated space traffic management.

One Crash Leads to Another

When things collide in space, they break into pieces that can stay in orbit for years. These pieces can then hit other satellites, making even more junk. This is called the Kessler Syndrome. Right now, the risk of a crash in LEO might already be around 10% each year, and it's only going to get worse as we put more satellites up there.

Time to Work Together

Scientists and space organisations say we need to team up globally to deal with space junk, create better rules for launching things into space and share the job of managing what's in orbit.

If this issue is not taken seriously, then Earth orbit would get low and crowded. Satellites are necessary to make communications, maps and keep an eye on the climate. If right steps are not taken timely, it could become too risky for future space missions.