What Would Happen if Telecommunication Satellites Ceased to Function?

The birth of satellites began with the launch of Sputnik, the first satellite launched in 1957 by the USSR during the Cold War. Since then, launches have followed year after year, giving access to space to more and more countries. Today, more than 4,500 satellites are orbiting above our heads, providing us with a wide range of services. Satellites are critical to our daily lives, providing us with connectivity to call our loved ones or guiding us with sophisticated navigation systems. Satellites are also used every day to safeguard democracy and help populations in case of natural disasters. The disappearance of satellites from our lives could potentially be caused by things such as a natural disturbance from a geomagnetic storm or an increase in space debris. This is why we need an environment where debris is tracked, we need satellites’ end-of-life phase to be properly managed and we also need robust space traffic management – just like air traffic management for planes.