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Technical

Mega-Constellation

A very large satellite constellation, often comprising hundreds or thousands of spacecraft, typically in low Earth orbit.

A mega-constellation is a constellation of unusually large scale — frequently hundreds to thousands of satellites — deployed mainly in low Earth orbit for broadband communications or dense Earth observation.

Their scale concentrates regulatory attention on space sustainability: collision risk in crowded orbits, the reliability of post-mission disposal across thousands of objects, spectrum coordination, and effects on astronomy. Demonstrating a high successful-disposal rate and robust collision avoidance is central to authorising such systems.