Book. Alert, danger! After the planet, it is now the turn of low orbit to be threatened. In less than a decade, this close suburb located between 400 and 1,200 kilometers from Earth has transformed into a “playground where all excesses can be expressed”, deplores Raphaël Chevrier in his book Les Saccageurs de l’espace (Buchet-Chastel, 224 pages, 19.90 euros). The main culprit is Elon Musk, “the first to have started the ball rolling” and who, “after having fascinated for a while, is starting to seriously worry” emphasizes this physicist working in the space industry. This revolution, known as “New Space”, which has opened up to start-ups a domain previously reserved for large public institutions, initially revived dreams of space conquest.
“One thing is certain: space has never been so accessible as the new frontier” notes the author by listing the multiple ongoing private projects, ranging from thousands of satellites in orbit to ensure terrestrial internet coverage and meet new applications, to space tourism accessible to a few billionaires, not to mention the craziest ideas of planet conquest or exploitation of extra-atmospheric resources. All against a backdrop of space militarization and above all without precise rules. The law of the jungle prevails, as in the days of the Wild West. It then leaves the field open to unscrupulous entrepreneurs. And sometimes the most bizarre announcements.
Throughout the chapters, the challenges and risks associated with a return to the Moon are analyzed in detail, as well as the prospect of Mars colonization. In addition, there is a description of the space’s contribution to global pollution, accompanied by an assessment of the environmental impact of rocket launches.
“Act in time, as for the climate”
“The new approach of New Space not only killed any critical thinking, but it also makes us turn a blind eye to the real risks posed on the sustainable use of the cosmos” worries the author, who wonders how to save our common good. “As with the climate, we must act in time, collectively.” But the different attempts at regulation to fill the legal void in low orbit listed in the book demonstrate that, from intention to implementation, the path is likely to be very long. International cooperation is essential to be effective, if only, for example, to manage the increasing number of debris.
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