Every satellite orbiting earth and who owns them (2023)

Article data and coverage

• Several commenters note the article’s data is from 2021 and was already stale by 2023, now badly outdated given rapid launch rates.
• Limiting stats to the top 50 owners hides smaller players; examples are given where national satellite counts are understated.
• A more up-to-date long-form piece and specialist catalogs (e.g., GCAT) are suggested for current numbers.

SpaceX / Starlink dominance

• People are struck by how many satellites a single private company operates; estimates in the thread suggest over a third to two-thirds of all active satellites.
• Starlink stats show thousands launched, with over a thousand already deorbited and rapid generational upgrades in satellite capability.
• Some emphasize that many recent launches are replacements, not net new capacity, and newer satellites are larger and more capable.

Governance, sovereignty, and “permission” to launch

• Discussion centers on who can approve launches: consensus is that only the launching state’s laws really matter.
• The ITU allocates spectrum and helps coordinate, but is described as lacking real enforcement power.
• Proposals for an international “FAA for space” face skepticism: concerns include big-power control, weak performance of existing global bodies, and military secrecy.

Tragedy of the commons and need for regulation

• One side sees space as another shared commons like oceans, fisheries, or radio spectrum: abuse leads to eventual regulation, but only after visible harm.
• Others argue that international institutions are inherently weak and that national self-interest (e.g., mutual assured destruction–style incentives) will suffice.
• Counterarguments cite climate change and overfishing as evidence that self-interest often fails to prevent collective ruin.

Kessler syndrome and debris risk

• Some warn that unregulated debris, anti-satellite tests, and poor deorbiting protocols could trigger Kessler syndrome and severely constrain future space use, especially in higher orbits and GEO.
• Others think Kessler is overstated: debris mainly makes specific orbital bands hazardous, not “permanently blocks access to space,” and low LEO is self-cleaning.
• Debate continues over how crowded LEO truly is, with “space is huge” arguments rebutted by pointing out orbital crossing, high speeds, and cascading fragmentation.

Metrics and environmental impact

• Counting satellites alone is seen as misleading; total mass, orbital regime, and mission type matter.
• Even tiny cubesats can catastrophically damage larger craft; mass still matters for atmospheric chemistry when they burn up, though the significance of this is acknowledged as unclear.

Tools, tracking, and military use

• Multiple real-time visualization and catalog sites are shared, showing that satellite positions are predictable and broadly trackable.
• There’s curiosity about undercounted military satellites and EU capabilities; some examples of European defense and IRIS programs are mentioned but details remain ambiguous.