The number of objects in orbit has surged over the past two decades, driven largely by the expansion of commercial space activity.

Today’s population of orbital objects includes active satellites, derelict rocket bodies and inactive satellites, alongside millions of smaller debris fragments. With space infrastructure increasingly interwoven with economic growth and daily life, this growth is starting to affect more than ever the collision risk of existing missions, projections of overall debris fields, planned missions and, consequently, investments committed now and in the future.