🛰️China plans space traffic system, mini ice age led to end of Roman Empire, super-Earth exoplanets are more common

China is reportedly planning to develop a space traffic management system for the sustainable use of low Earth orbit.

According to officials from the China National Space Administration’s (CNSA) Earth observation and data centre, low Earth orbit could become overcrowded with around 100,000 satellites based on current projections. Therefore, there is an urgency for better space traffic management.

They caution that a lack of such a system could lead to overlapping projects and repetitive competition, ultimately hindering the growth of the space industry. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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MUST-READ

🛰️ China plans space traffic system for 100,000 satellites for smooth ops

The Chinese government plans to provide strong backing for the commercial space sector, which is building several large-scale satellite constellations.

Industry data indicates that China has 58 satellite factories either in operation, under construction, or in the planning stages. Based on publicly available capacity estimates, the country’s satellite output is expected to surpass 5,000 units per year by the end of 2025.

Among the major initiatives, Shanghai-based Spacecom Satellite Technology is building the G60 Starlink communications network, which is expected to eventually include around 15,000 satellites.

❄️ Mini ice age possibly led to end of Roman Empire, suggests Iceland rocks

A new study from Queen’s University found geological evidence in Iceland pointing to a climate crisis as a key factor in the Roman Empire’s ultimate demise.

In the sixth century AD, three massive volcanic eruptions triggered a climate crisis known as the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA).

Ash blocked out sunlight for 200-300 years, causing a drop in global temperatures that exacerbated the problems that the faltering Roman Empire already faced.

🌎 Super-Earth exoplanets more common across universe than thought: Study

Scientists have discovered that super-Earth exoplanets are more common across the universe than previously thought.

The team studied light anomalies made by the newly found planet’s host star and combined their results with a larger sample from the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) microlensing survey.

Researchers came to the conclusion that super-Earths can exist as far from their host star as our gas giants are from the sun.

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