BENGALURU: With increasing space operations from space agencies in the world, one lakh space objects are projected to be in space by 2030, and to understand the availability of orbits while keeping space debris in mind, a space capacity index portal is being prepared considering that while space is voluminous, orbital shells in which a number of satellite can move, have limited limited capacity, AK Anil Kumar, Director, ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), said here on Wednesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the three-day long international conference on spacecraft mission operations SMOPS-2026, he said multiple agencies and countries are working on the space capacity index portal.
The number of large objects, large operations and constellations are also increasing. Around 50,000-60,000 large operations are expected in the coming years.
But apart from the capacity, the concern of collisions and debris is also increasing. Around 50,000 debris objects above 10 cm in size have been identified, he said, while stressing on the need to improve coordination between space agencies to keep operational satellites from colliding.
Kumar said that till 2015, the debris objects were 95% and operational objects in space were 5%. By 2020, the operational satellites were 25% and debris 75%. By 2030, it will 50-50.