3 ms·

Starlink satellites are only approximately 350 miles up, which means any debris gets brought down by atmospheric drag very quickly. A million satellites in that

Starlink satellites are only approximately 350 miles up, which means any debris gets brought down by atmospheric drag very quickly. A million satellites in that orbit could not cause kessler syndrome.

ClumsyPilot 7y ago
That's not quite accurate. Firstly,the debris will destroy everything in LEO, maybe including ISS, then debit in a few months. Secondly, some of the debris will probably end up in higher orbit and stay there for a long time, just like was the case with India and China ASAT tests. Then they can pose a risk for centuries
- Rebelgecko 7y ago
  > Secondly, some of the debris will probably end up in higher orbit and stay there for a long time The average height of the orbit may go up, but depending on the direction of the collision the perigee will decrease by some amount, so there will still be a considerable amount of atmospheric drag. The Chinese ASAT test was in a much higher orbit, which is why so much of the debris is still troublesome. Most of the debris from the Indian ASAT test is gone, and the rest will probably be gone in a year or two.