The growing risk of space collisions has prompted calls for tighter traffic control in the Earth's orbit.

Since 1957, figures from the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) show that more than 8,000 satellites have been launched into space.

With more satellites being launched, and after a near-collision between a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite and Elon Musk's SpaceX super constellation, scientists are asking for a recognized body to monitor the Earth's orbit.

Doug Liddle, CEO and director of UK-based company In-Space Missions, says with the launching of these space constellations – hundreds of small, low-orbit satellites that band together – the need for a body to regulate and control space traffic is becoming a "hot topic."

"There isn't currently a central body, but there is clearly a need for a civil organization that could track objects, provide collision risk assessments and also arbitrate between operators, or a more directive role, as to who should maneuver in the instance of a conjunction (collision) warning," he said.

Currently, if a potential crash is flagged up, it is up to the satellite operators to decide who should change course.

"Ideally they would be funded and empowered by the national space agencies and obeying their directives would be a condition on which a country would license an operator," Liddle said.

Klaus Merz, a member of ESA's space debris team, said worldwide regulation could become possible in the future if commercial space flights become viable. 

"In the meantime, we have to be practical, we have to use common sense," he said. 

"Launching and leaving satellites in orbit is not viable. We need to limit the lifetime after the satellite's life and lower it and return it into the Earth's atmosphere. We have to limit the population of debris. 

"If you put 10,000 satellites in space and only bring down 90 percent of them, that would not be sustainable."

He adds that there could also be a commercial hole in the market for the clearing of old satellites and debris.

Merz said the Earth orbit's population needs to be regulated through goodwill between operators and agencies, rather than legally binding agreements.

He said international treaties could act as a barrier for smaller providers and countries to launch into space.

"The main thing is that people talk to each other. With the current growth of activity, there will be a need to talk. 

"An email or phone call will not work. There should be technology developed. That would be the next step."

Collision avoidance technology

Since the near-collision with SpaceX's constellation, ESA is working on new technology for satellites to automatically avoid each other.

"This example shows that in the absence of traffic rules and communication protocols, collision avoidance depends entirely on the pragmatism of the operators involved," said Holger Krag, head of space safety at ESA. 

The technology being developed will automate the process between the two satellites, ensuring collisions are avoided in a "conflict-free" way to "speed up the entire process."

The Combined Space Operations Center tracks more than 23,000 natural and man-made objects in space and informs operators if there is a chance of a collision.

Liddle, of In-Space, said that "large parts of the Earth's orbit may become inaccessible" due to a potential "Kessler syndrome" – the theory that a high density of satellites would lead to more collisions, causing more debris, which could create further impacts.

"Depending on where this occurs, this could potentially lead to loss of satellite television and broadband, weather forecasting and many other things," Liddle added.

Since records began in 1957, UNOOSA has recorded 8,740 objects being launched into space, with 4,987 of those still in orbit. The highest number launched in a year was 453 in 2017. Meanwhile, figures from the Union of Concerned Scientists show that 2,062 of these satellites in orbit are active. Of those, 901 are recorded as coming from the US and 299 from China. A total of 733 satellites are used for communication.

Many organizations have vowed to send more satellites into space, such as SpaceX, which is reportedly planning a 12,000-strong "super constellation" and the UK government, which is aiming to launch 2,000 satellites by 2030.

While In-Space will also soon launch its Faraday mission, a "rideshare" that collects multiple customers on to a single satellite, Liddle says that much of the space launching market is "massively crowded."