LAST week鈥檚 high-speed collision between a defunct Russian satellite and an operational US one was the first time two intact satellites have crashed in orbit. It won鈥檛 be the last.
Such events are now inevitable. Space debris is increasing as more and more satellites reach the end of their working lives. There is not a lot we can do about what is already up there, but we should at least stop adding to the problem. So it is good to hear that NASA, ESA and similar bodies are now pressing operators to ensure new satellites either burn up as soon as possible at the ends of their lives, or are moved to safer 鈥済raveyard鈥� orbits.
Such measures are not cheap. But in a world that increasingly relies on satellites for everything from communication to climate monitoring, we can鈥檛 afford to do nothing.
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