The Space Congestion is on the rise and this raises collision risks among satellites.

Overview

The orbital space is becoming more and more crowded, and in 2025, there are more than 1.5 lakh close-approach warnings on Indian satellites. The report released by the Indian Space Situational Assessment Committee 2025 also mentions that the increasing number of satellites and debris are becoming major concerns regarding the risk of collision and security of operations in space.

Growing Orbital Congestion

The increased number of satellite launches, particularly the large constellations which launch hundreds of satellites at a time, has extensively become a source of congestion in orbital pathways. In 2025, global launches were 315, launching more than 4,600 objects into orbit. Though there are some re-entries, the general trend is towards more and more active satellites, making it more likely that a near-miss will occur.

Collision Avoidance Measures

In 2025, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) performed 18 collision avoidance manoeuvres (CAM) consisting of 14 in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 4 in Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO). Also, several manoeuvre plans were refined to avoid the post-manoeuvre risks, which underscored the increasing complexity of space operations.

Space Mission problems.

Even missions like Chandrayaan-2 which went deep space had their limitations, where orbit corrections had to be made in case of possible collision. The orbital paths being tightly packed reduces the reaction time, thus making it more and more difficult to track and coordinate with space agencies.

International Consequences and threats.

The growing population of satellites and debris enhances the likelihood of cascading collisions which is referred to as Kessler Syndrome. With the possibility of active satellites surpassing debris in the near future, world coordination and better space traffic management systems are now being looked into to guarantee a long term sustainability of space activities.

Exam-Focused Key Points

• Over 1.5 lakh close-approach alerts for Indian satellites in 2025.
• There were 4,651 objects in orbit thanks to 315 global launches.
• ISRO carried out 18 collision avoidance manoeuvres.
• Expansion of satellite constellations augments congestion.
• Space debris risk of Kessler Syndrome.

Practice questions (answers)

Q1. What is the meaning of CAM in space operations?
Response: Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre.

Q2. Who is in charge of the Indian space missions?
Response: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Q3. What is Kessler Syndrome?
Response: A cascading series of crashes as a result of space debris.

Q4. Why is there a growing congestion in space?
Reason: With satellite launches and massive constellations increasing.