We often hear about how busy space is, but it’s not every day we get a close look at it. Recently, the Artemis II mission gave us just that. Along with stunning moon photos, it captured images of Earth peppered with tiny points of light. At first glance, these might look like stars. However, many of them are satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). On platforms like the Artemis subreddit, users excitedly pointed this out, sharing animations created from the sequence of photos showing these orbiting objects.
One animation by Seán Doran on Bluesky clearly illustrates many shining objects glinting in the sunlight as they circle our planet. It’s fascinating to see just how many manmade items are up there, especially evident in just a few seconds of video.
As of now, the numbers are staggering. According to CelesTrak, there are about 15,731 active satellites and nearly 33,484 total objects in orbit when including debris and inactive satellites. Other sources, like SATCAT and the US Space Force, show even higher counts, estimating up to 50,600 objects. And most of these are in low Earth orbit, which is less than 2,000 kilometers above the Earth.
What’s more surprising is how quickly this number is rising. Since 2020, the count of objects in LEO has nearly tripled, jumping from 6,068 to around 16,084 today. This growth leads to significant challenges. Every time a rocket is launched, careful calculations must ensure it navigates safely around existing objects.
At speeds of about 17,550 mph, even tiny debris poses a severe risk. A collision, even with something small, can have catastrophic results. Aerospace.org paints a vivid picture of how disastrous such impacts can be, likening them to explosions due to the immense speed involved. Their analysis of impact energy shows that even a piece the size of a poppy seed carries enough energy to be comparable to a pitched baseball.
As our view of planet Earth expands, so does the potential for danger in orbit. While these satellite images are breathtaking, they serve as a reminder of the growing risks in our crowded skies.
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