Lack of regulation will create a 'Wild West in SPACE' warns expert

The world is heading for a'wild west' free for all in space that could lead to disaster as firms fight for every scrap of resource in low Earth orbit, an expert has warned. Paul Kostek, a space policy specialist from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), says global agreement is'highly unlikely' anytime soon. As the commercial space sector continues to grow at a rapid rate, firms are vying to launch constellations of satellites and new experimental craft into low Earth orbit. This has left astronomers frustrated and struggling due to'blots in the sky' that make observations harder and less accurate, as well as concerns over space junk. The need for regulation has become more pressing after satellites from OneWeb and SpaceX Starlink came close to hitting each other last week.