We are firmly in the era of the satellite constellation—groups of dozens of similar satellites—and are currently entering the era of the mega constellation, wherein groups of thousands of satellites swarm the skies. The clusters of satellites started small, but, like a viral outbreak, they grew almost without us noticing—and now we're dealing with a pandemic.
In the vacuum of space, the amount of debris-spent rocket stages, splintered satellites, micrometeoroids- numbers in the millions, all zooming about, often at 17,000 mph speeds. They're also constantly hitting each other in a tsuris of exponential littering. Most of these pieces are tiny, and many are not anywhere near the altitude of the ISS. But the area isn't completely clean.
The rocket, a Chinese Zhuque-3, was launched in early December and is now expected to crash into the atmosphere later this afternoon. The UK government has asked mobile network providers to ensure the alert system is operational, in preparation for the possibility of an alert being issued.
Securing a conversation with Leonidas Askianakis requires foresight. His schedule is carved into 30-minute slots from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. Meetings are online only, and every one of them revolves around space. Despite the long hours, his calendar is booked weeks ahead. When does he sleep? The 22-year-old student from the Technical University of Munich in Germany shrugs when confronted with the question during a recent interview with DW, saying that he's "on the home stretch" and just can't "set the project aside."
