er ▁Hugh ▁Lewis ▁predicted ▁that ▁the ▁threat ▁from ▁space ▁de br is ▁would ▁rise ▁ 5 0 ▁percent ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁de cade ▁and ▁quad ru ple ▁in ▁the ▁next ▁ 5 0 ▁years . ▁, ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 3 , 0 0 0 ▁close ▁calls ▁were ▁track ed ▁week ly . ▁ ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁National ▁Research ▁Council ▁war ned ▁NASA ▁that ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁orbit ing ▁space ▁de br is ▁was ▁at ▁a ▁critical ▁level . ▁According ▁to ▁some ▁computer ▁models , ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁space ▁de br is ▁" has ▁reached ▁a ▁t ipping ▁point , ▁with ▁enough ▁currently ▁in ▁orbit ▁to ▁contin ually ▁col lide ▁and ▁create ▁even ▁more ▁de br is , ▁raising ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁space craft ▁fail ures ". ▁The ▁report ▁called ▁for ▁international ▁reg ulations ▁limit ing ▁de br is ▁and ▁research ▁of ▁dispos al ▁methods . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 0 s , ▁plans ▁by ▁multiple ▁prov iders ▁to ▁deploy ▁large ▁m ega const ell ations ▁of ▁broad band ▁internet ▁sat ell ites ▁had ▁been ▁lic ensed ▁by ▁regul atory ▁authorities , ▁with ▁oper ational ▁sat ell ites ▁entering ▁production ▁by ▁both ▁One Web ▁and ▁Space X . ▁The ▁first ▁deploy ments ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁with ▁six ▁from ▁One Web , ▁followed ▁by ▁ 6 0 ▁ ▁sat ell ites ▁from ▁Space X ▁in ▁May , ▁the ▁first ▁sat ell ites ▁for ▁the ▁project ▁Star