US Earth imaging satellite fleet is creating ‘low-cost orbital landmines’, China team says

A team of Chinese researchers has criticised the world’s largest Earth-imaging satellite fleet, describing the shoebox-sized spacecraft as “low-cost orbital landmines” that threaten the safety of space operations.

Using a self-developed tracking platform, software scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences analysed the Dove constellation – which has launched hundreds of CubeSats since 2013 to provide daily, medium-resolution imagery of the Earth’s surface – according to the team’s article posted on Chinese social media on July 21.

The Chinese team said the thruster-less satellites operated by San Francisco-based Planet Labs, posed a growing threat to space safety.

They found that by early July more than 80 per cent of the 662 Dove satellites had deorbited, raising concerns about uncontrolled re-entry and potential collisions. They also noted that more than 100 Doves listed in public databases, including the US Space Force’s tracking website, were assigned “incorrect or fabricated” identification codes and lacked orbital data.

“The Dove constellation has reshaped the commercial Earth observation industry with its low-cost, high-frequency observation model,” the researchers wrote. “However, it may be turning valuable low Earth orbits into a dangerous ‘minefield’.”

Launched in large batches and lacking on-board propulsion, Doves drift between 300km and 500km (186-310 miles) in altitude and cannot manoeuvre to avoid collisions. Their small size also made them hard to track, the researchers said, adding that many remained in orbit long after they had stopped functioning.