The number of satellites overhead could rise by at least half over the next decade , according to projections . Many of Planet Labs’ clients already rely on the images for tasks such as monitoring crop growth and health, providing military intelligence, and detecting illegal deforestation. While there are currently around 2,000 satellites orbiting Earth , there is expected to be a rapid expansion in the number of launches over the next few decades . SpaceX 's Discovery project aims to launch 12,000 devices into orbit by 2027 , while a number of other large - scale schemes are also expected to contribute to the growth .
The number of satellites overhead could rise by at least half over the next decade , according to projections . While there are currently around 2,000 satellites orbiting Earth , there is expected to be a rapid expansion in the number of launches over the next few decades . SpaceX 's Discovery project aims to launch 12,000 devices into orbit by 2027 , while a number of other large - scale schemes are also expected to contribute to the growth .