Earth’s Orbit Is About to Get More Crowded

January 19, 2023 | EOS | Sarah Scoles

Small satellites may soon replace larger alternatives to gather and beam information from space. Credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center

Sometime this coming March, a network of 10 small satellites winged with solar panels is scheduled to launch into Earth’s low orbit. Though likely invisible to the naked eye, the satellites will be part of a future herd of hundreds that, according to the Space Development Agency, or SDA, will bolster the United States’ defense capabilities.