How Many Satellites Are In Space And Which Country Has The Most?

One of the most important satellite launches of all time was that of Sputnik. When the Soviet satellite became the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth on October 4, 1957, space must have seemed like a very lonely place. Moving on nearly seven decades, and poor old Sputnik would be lost among the 45,000 or so man-made objects orbiting our planet. In the true sense of the word, each of these objects can be considered a satellite. A "satellite" is simply a body that orbits another in space. However, among those 45,000 objects, many are classified as space junk — about 32,750 objects were being tracked as of 2022. From a practical point of view, these can be disregarded for the purposes of this article. 

At the time of writing, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs listed 13,727 satellites in orbit around Earth. These are listed as belonging to 82 different states or organizations. Principally among them are China with 1,121, Russia with 1,471, and the U.K. with 722. However, the U.S. is by far the leader in terms of satellite numbers. With 9,203 satellites currently in orbit, the country has more than six times the number of second-placed Russia. Of course, with the use of satellites growing exponentially, this number will only grow. For instance, in 2024, a staggering 2,695 satellites were added to the list. To get an idea of just how many satellites are being deployed, it's worth noting that in 2020, a mere 3,371 satellites were orbiting the Earth.

The use of satellites has changed how we live our lives. From SatNav to worldwide internet, the modern world is reliant on satellites for a massive variety of reasons. Well-publicised services like weather forecasting, beaming TV and phone signals, or Elon Musk's Starlink service are perhaps the first things that spring to most people's minds. However, the nearly 14,000 satellites orbiting the Earth do an incredibly varied set of jobs. For example, financial transactions are sometimes routed via satellite links so when you order takeaway pizza with your credit card, your payment signal might be bounced off a satellite.

A few lesser-known uses of satellites include monitoring energy grids, operating space-based telescopes like Hubble, tracking ocean currents, and even carrying human ashes in planetary orbits. Of course, the military use of satellites is also prevalent. These perform a variety of purposes, including communications, early warning systems, GPS, and real-time surveillance. In terms of military satellite numbers, as of 2023, the U.S. was leading the way again with a total of 247 military satellites. China was next with 157, Russia had 110, and France had 17. Other countries that have military satellites in orbit include Israel, the U.K., Germany, and Luxembourg. 

From the iconic beeps made by Sputnik 1 as it circled alone, to the multitude of satellites that now connect, guide, and watch us, the space race and the satellites it spawned have changed society. And with a projected seven tons of space hardware being added daily, it's a race that's showing no signs of slowing down.