Orbital space around Earth must be protected amid rise in satellites, say scientists

Calls for rules akin to environmental regulations to reduce risk of collisions and preserve night sky

The orbital space around Earth must urgently be protected by environmental rules and regulations akin to those that safeguard the planet's land, seas and air, leading scientists say.

An international team of researchers warn that a dramatic rise in the number of satellites is polluting the night sky for astronomers and stargazers, while increasing the risk of objects colliding in space and potentially even striking people or aircraft when they fall back to Earth.