BALI - If all goes to plan, by the first half of next year, Singapore-based satellite maker NuSpace will launch its first commercial satellite, which will zip around Earth more than a dozen times a day, linking remote parts of the globe to the Internet.

But by the time the tiny spacecraft - the size of a shoebox - is expected to fall into the Earth's atmosphere in 2031, its journey in space could resemble something closer to an obstacle course, as big space companies and some governments vie for dominance, resulting in more crowded orbits, increased risk of collision and red tape.