The use of space and satellites: problems and challenges

Since the first artificial satellite was launched in 1957, the outer space around the earth has become a precious environment hosting a growing number of very important civilian, military, scientific and commercial applications. After more than three decades dominated by the competition between the superpowers of the Cold War, the situation has rapidly evolved, not only because most of the countries in the world currently own satellites and all depend on their services, but also because near earth space is becoming crowded, China is beginning to challenge the supremacy of the US and Russia, and many ambitious new private commercial players are entering the field, promising a technological revolution. After an overview of the current utilization of space, the main threats to its peaceful exploitation, that is militarization and warfare, orbital debris and solar storms, are examined in order to identify the problems pending and the challenges ahead.