Different orbits. For two things to collide in space, orbital height (altitude) has to intersect. And the orbital parameters of anything up there is tightly controlled/regulated as well as monitored.
Even if two objects’ orbits do intersect, the timing has to match as well. Two objects can be on the same orbit, but out of phase with each other.
Plus, the thing about space is just that: There’s an awful lot of it. While it’s easy to imagine that it’s tightly packed, it’s mostly just empty space. On a similar note: Asteroid fields don’t look like they do in Star Wars. You could be in the middle of an asteroid field and see absolutely nothing.
And since this is three dimensional space over a globe, the higher you go, the more room there is.
On top of that, satellites do have some ability to maneuver (change their orbits), so if their orbit has drifted enough to be a concern, they can adjust. Satellites that are supposed to stay up there for a long time that have run out of thruster fuel are placed in junkyard orbits where they won’t cause any harm, and some of the closer ones are deorbited and burn up during reentry.
Different orbits. For two things to collide in space, orbital height (altitude) has to intersect. And the orbital parameters of anything up there is tightly controlled/regulated as well as monitored.
Even if two objects’ orbits do intersect, the timing has to match as well. Two objects can be on the same orbit, but out of phase with each other.
Plus, the thing about space is just that: There’s an awful lot of it. While it’s easy to imagine that it’s tightly packed, it’s mostly just empty space. On a similar note: Asteroid fields don’t look like they do in Star Wars. You could be in the middle of an asteroid field and see absolutely nothing.
And since this is three dimensional space over a globe, the higher you go, the more room there is.
On top of that, satellites do have some ability to maneuver (change their orbits), so if their orbit has drifted enough to be a concern, they can adjust. Satellites that are supposed to stay up there for a long time that have run out of thruster fuel are placed in junkyard orbits where they won’t cause any harm, and some of the closer ones are deorbited and burn up during reentry.