3 ms·

Wonder why they dont just leave them in space, could make a good chassis or building block for building bigger space stations

• anarazel 9y ago
  First off, they aren't lifted to a stable orbit, that'd cost additional fuel (which'd need more fuel again). They're detached once the air is thin enough that the resistance doesn't cause problems. Secondly, it'd also clutter space further.
• ridgeguy 9y ago
  The fairing doesn't get carried to orbit. It's dumped as soon as aerodynamic loads are negligible. Since the fairing has the same energy requirement as the payload (in energy/kg), it's important to get rid of it the moment it's unnecessary. If they took it to orbit (so they could leave in space), it would drastically cut down payload mass.