The story of VLEO is usually told as "closer is better." That's true — but it misses half the argument. The other half is that the orbit everyone already uses is getting worse.
The crowd above
Tracked objects in LEO keep climbing. Collision-avoidance manoeuvres are escalating. The Kessler trajectory — where collisions beget more debris — is no longer a thought experiment. Every operator at 600–800 km now shares the band with a growing population of things they have to dodge.
The orbit that cleans itself
The residual atmosphere that makes VLEO hard to stay in is also what keeps it clean. A satellite at 200 km de-orbits naturally within weeks of mission end — no tugs, no disposal manoeuvres, no long-tail debris.
That makes compliance with the FCC's five-year deorbit rule and the ESA Zero Debris Charter automatic rather than aspirational.
Why it matters now
Regulation rewards orbits that clear themselves. Demand for the capability VLEO offers is spiking. And the propulsion barrier that kept everyone out has fallen. The operators who move first get to define the band — below the crowd.