We’re putting more stuff into space than ever. Here’s what’s up there.

MIT Technology Review

by Jonathan O'Callaghan

February 24, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Earth’s outer atmosphere has become a bustling hub of human-made objects, from satellites to debris, marking a significant shift since the first satellite was launched in 1957. Over the past five years alone, the number of active satellites has surged from just over 3,000 to nearly 14,000, with much of this growth driven by “megaconstellations” like Elon Musk’s Starlink project, which now orbits approximately 10,000 satellites. This rapid expansion has created a unique layer in space, known as the anthroposphere, filled with high-tech gear that enables modern communication and observation. The sheer scale of objects in orbit is staggering. While there are only about 50,000 pieces of debris larger than a baseball floating around Earth, smaller fragments numbering up to a million also pose risks. This cluttered environment raises concerns about collisions, which could disrupt critical satellites used for weather forecasting, GPS navigation, and internet connectivity—services deeply intertwined with our daily lives and the functioning of AI-driven technologies. For readers interested in AI, this growth matters because space-based systems underpin many innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Satellites provide vast amounts of data on Earth’s environment, climate patterns, and human activities, feeding into AI models that help us understand and address global challenges. However, the increasing number of satellites also strains orbital resources

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Originally published on MIT Technology Review on 2/24/2026