It may be a surprise to no one that Elon Musk and his company SpaceX own the most satellites orbiting the Earth. SpaceX currently has 1,655 satellites in space, and they have plans to launch many more. In fact, Elon has a goal of providing internet access to some of the most remote parts of the world through his Starlink venture. SpaceX rockets can carry a record-breaking 143 satellites into space at a time. Commercial satellites can also for the low price of one million dollars, be launched by Elon’s SpaceX rockets, brining endless possibilities for companies in space. According to this new infographic by Dewesoft, the US is the country with most satellites currently orbiting Earth and a big part of that is due to SpaceX. Check out the full infographic below:
75 different countries have at least one satellite in orbit. As of September 2021, there are 4,550 satellites in orbit. These are made up of four different types including low earth orbit, medium earth orbit, highly elliptical orbit, and geosynchronous orbit. Low orbit satellites like the International Space Station are primarily used for communication systems. The geosynchronous orbit are used for telecommunications and observing Earth, and will match the speed of the Earth’s rotation. Medium Earth orbit is used for GPS and the highly elliptical orbit satellites that are used for satellite radio and remote sensing. Satellites can deliver loads of robust information that can aid in technology development and much more. They can also help scientist observe Earth from space and gather data on space itself.
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