As of recent estimates, approximately 58% of the satellites in Earth’s orbit remain operational, while the rest are inactive.
The year 2022 has marked a record high for orbital and suborbital launches, with a total of 155 launches so far. Out of these, five failed, and one experienced partial failure.
Data from the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) reveals that there are currently 8,261 individual satellites orbiting the Earth, representing an 11.84% increase from April 2021. By the end of January 2022, the number of objects launched into space totaled 12,293. UNOOSA lists 31 different launch facilities worldwide, covering air, sea, and even submarine-based launch platforms.
As of January 2022, records show 8,261 satellites in orbit, with 4,852 confirmed as active at the end of December 2021, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which tracks operational satellites. As of January 1, 2021, UCS recorded 6,542 satellites, of which 3,372 were active, and 3,170 were inactive.
Here’s the breakdown of satellite purposes according to UCS:
- 3,135 for communications
- 1,030 for Earth observation
- 385 for technology development/demonstration
- 154 for navigation/positioning
- 22 for Earth science
- 18 for other purposes
The surge in satellite launches over the past decade has largely been fueled by the development of smaller CubeSats, which allow multiple satellites to be launched simultaneously, unlike earlier rockets that could carry only one or two at a time.
The top 10 countries leading the satellite industry include the USA, China, Russia, the UK, Japan, India, France, Canada, Germany, and Luxembourg.
Euroconsult’s latest report, “Prospects for Space Exploration,” forecasts that global space exploration spending could reach $31 billion in the coming decade.
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