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> they've shown the satellites can move and de-orbit on command Are there cost weight savings if they can remove the fuel or equipment needed to force a deorib
by teruakohatu 6y ago
> they've shown the satellites can move and de-orbit on command
Are there cost weight savings if they can remove the fuel or equipment needed to force a deoribit? So if a sat dies on day one they can just shrug and say it will burn up in 5 years.
Or can they induce drag without extra equipment?
- zamadatix 6y agoTechnically yes, as long as it will de-orbit in less than 25 years you don't need to. That being said not being able to de-orbit on command or maneuver out of a collision course is going to make getting tens of thousands of such satellites approved much less likely. Also they are used as part of the normal operation of the satellites anyways, ~60 are launched together in one big clump and then the ion thrusters get them into the individual target orbits and keep them there over time (until fuel runs out trying to keep the orbit on track or the satellite stops being operationally useful), so getting rid of it does make it lighter but not necessarily better suited.