The 'tragedy of the commons' occurs when common access resources (CARs)—natural or environmental resources without defined private property rights—are overexploited. Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the region of space surrounding Earth up to an altitude of 2,000 kilometres, is a prime example of a CAR. It is a vast orbital space from which any nation or private company can launch and operate satellites. Because it is highly difficult to exclude new actors under current international treaty frameworks, private telecommunications and aerospace conglomerates act in their own self-interest, rapidly deploying massive "mega-constellations" of satellites to capture market share and maximise short-run commercial revenues. This behavior creates significant negative externalities, such as the generation of hyper-velocity space debris and an increased risk of orbital collisions, which threaten the viability of all future space missions and global communication infrastructure.
Today, thousands of operational satellites and tens of thousands of trackable debris fragments congest key orbital bands. Private aerospace corporations are not held financially accountable for the long-term debris they generate or the orbital space they occupy. They continue to launch satellites as quickly as possible to establish global network dominance. Addressing this orbital sustainability crisis requires international regulatory frameworks, clearly defined orbital use rights, or mandatory debris-removal agreements.
According to Extract B, "private aerospace corporations are not held financially accountable for the long-term debris they generate or the orbital space they occupy. They continue to launch satellites as quickly as possible to establish global network dominance."
Assess whether it is rational for private aerospace corporations to behave in this way.
