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How sparse is LEO? 12,000 satellites sounds like a lot and what if we come to a point where we can't safely launch rockets with passengers to Mars?
by fermienrico 6y ago
How sparse is LEO? 12,000 satellites sounds like a lot and what if we come to a point where we can't safely launch rockets with passengers to Mars?
- Valgrim 6y agoIt's not that much considering that it's more or less evenly spread over a "surface" bigger than the whole planet. A Kessler syndrome with that many satellites would ground us for some time, though. (but it would be somewhat mediated by the low degrading orbit of these satellites)
- biomcgary 6y agoI assume that all satellites are tracked, but surely the safety calculations are not trivial. However, if you estimate the orbits at 200 miles and equal distribution across the surface of the sphere, it translates to 20,000 sq miles per satellite.
- perl4ever 6y ago20,000 square miles is only ~141 miles square. Which is to say, flying through that layer, one of the satellites is probably closer than the ground.