The Positive And Negative Aspects Of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites

A graphic showing the difference between a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO).

The Space Race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union may have ended long ago, but we’re technically still “racing” in space. However, now, it’s about balancing innovation with sustainability.

But first, how do LEO Satellites work? Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites are satellites that orbit Earth at altitudes of around 160-2,000 kilometers. LEO satellites move incredibly fast, zooming around Earth at about 17,000 miles per hour due to Earth’s gravity! This allows them to complete an orbit in less than two hours. Furthermore, because LEO satellites are closer to Earth than Medium Earth Orbit or Geostationary Orbit Satellites—satellites that orbit Earth at an altitude between 2,000-35,000 kilometers—they require less power to transmit signals and experience lower signal latency, which is the delay between sending and receiving data. It is also far cheaper and easier to replace and fix LEO Satellites.

So far, LEO Satellites have proven to be extremely monumental in revolutionizing modern life. One of LEO Satellites’ most important uses is in spreading global internet connectivity, especially in rural or underserved areas where either fiber optic cables and cellular towers can’t reach or the infrastructure is too costly to build. LEO Satellites solve this issue by allowing phones and other cellular devices to connect to them without requiring any infrastructure, which means that theoretically, even the people living in North Sentinel Island could connect to the internet for very cheap.

LEO Satellites are crucial for addressing the digital divide, where people in areas with high poverty rates cannot access the internet, leading to significantly worse education, opportunities, and even health. Regions with low connectivity to the internet have disproportionately higher rates of chronic illness, with diabetes rates in such areas 41% higher than the national average. Part of this is because the lack of access to good internet prevents many people in these areas from seeking medical assistance and advice online.

LEO Satellites have also been very helpful in disaster response, weather monitoring, navigation, climate science, and national security. These satellites deliver high-resolution imagery that helps track hurricanes, detect wildfires, assess crop yields, and monitor environmental changes. In emergencies, they assist in coordinating search and rescue operations and restoring communication to affected areas. 

However, these benefits come at a potentially greater environmental cost. Currently, humanity is getting closer to the Kessler Syndrome, or the theory that if we continue to put satellites into Low Earth Orbit, there will be too many objects and collisions, thus making the region unusable. Earth’s Low Earth Orbit is already becoming overcrowded with the addition of more LEO Satellites, which has exponentially increased the risk of collisions. Each collision between LEO satellites generates more fragments, which then advances us further into the Kessler Syndrome. 

Currently, NASA estimates that there are over 128 million pieces of space debris in orbit, ranging from paint flecks to defunct satellites. These fragments move at hypervelocity speeds, making even small particles capable of damaging or destroying functioning spacecraft. Satellites must constantly perform collision avoidance maneuvers, which burn precious fuel and waste more resources. 

There’s also a more dangerous impact of putting too many LEO Satellites in orbit: falling space debris. When there are too many LEO Satellites, collisions are more frequent, which eventually leads to more debris falling back to the Earth. NASA estimates that at least three old satellites or rocket bodies fall to Earth every day, meaning that an average civilian has a chance of being struck down by an old satellite on their way to work. However, it isn’t just about the possibility of a person being struck down by a satellite; it’s also about satellites striking down critical infrastructure. Because spacecraft plunge back down to Earth at nearly 17,500 miles per hour, even a slight brush by re-entering satellites could destroy houses or other buildings like hospitals. Therefore, these negative consequences have sparked intense political debate and calls for more comprehensive regulation. Until recently, space activities operated in a legal gray zone, with limited international oversight. No global or international framework exists to manage property rights, debris responsibility, or orbital traffic, meaning that major companies like SpaceX could continuously pollute Earth’s Low Earth Orbit without any legal consequences. 

So far, Low Earth Orbit has served as a political and economic battleground, where unregulated growth, greed, and a lack of regulation now threaten to destroy the numerous benefits that these innovative LEO Satellites provide. LEO Satellites are important and have many uses, but if society wants to benefit from them in the future, there needs to be more regulation.