SpaceX and its competitors plan to envelop the planet with thousands of small objects in the next few years. The company launched 60 satellites into orbit Thursday night, the first batch of thousands of satellites that will someday beam internet down to Earth. The satellites traveled to space in a big, cozy stack, but will fan out—“like spreading a deck of cards on a table,” according to Elon Musk—and unfurl solar arrays to soak up the sunlight they’ll use to power themselves. All 60 satellites had come online... and in such a short time; the thought of a commercial company’s satellites outnumbering all the rest is rather astonishing. Right now, there are about 5,000 in orbit around Earth—in total. Only about 2,000 are still functioning. This is a headache for a niche group of people who worry about the growing number of satellites and pieces of debris accumulating over Earth."
At www.theatlantic.com
