3 ms·

Need third party analysis of that, personally

maccam94 5y ago
Analysis of what, exactly? The physics of the orbits they are in are pretty well understood. You can track the orbital altitudes (and failures/disposals) here: https://planet4589.org/space/stats/star/starstats.html https://planet4589.org/space/stats/star/starstats.html
- vmception 5y ago
  well, exactly that, to me that meant "any source aside from SpaceX" and you provided it so thanks.
myself248 5y ago
The search term "Gabbard diagram" should tell you all you need to know. Especially if you find some animated ones. Here's a particularly nice one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ijKirDjwOU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ijKirDjwOU The Gabbard diagram is a way of expressing the orbital locations and decay of the particles produced as a result of an orbital collision. Note how higher objects tend to stay high for a long time, but low objects (below about 600km) drift lower at an appreciable timescale, and once they're below about 500km they fall the rest of the way very very quickly. Starlink satellites deploy to 550-km orbits. Edit: Oh, these were launched into a 210-km orbit, which combined with the higher atmospheric density due to the geomagnetic storm, basically dragged them back down before they could raise to their normal orbit. Oof.
- bryanlarsen 5y ago
  Even more strongly, SpaceX launches to a ~200km orbit and has the satellites raise themselves. This way any satellites without attitude control deorbit immediately. Also, the vast majority of SpaceX satellites will be at 350km.
  - shagie 5y ago
    Your numbers are a bit on the low side. They start off at a 350 km ( https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=50803 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=50803 was launched earlier this year). They then raise them to about a 550 km orbit for its operational lifetime ( https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=45102 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=45102 ) And then they lower it a bit, and it decays more rapidly ( https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44249 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44249 ) Another one that didn't go operational - https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44282 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44282 - you can see it go up, fail, get lowered, and decay.
    - bryanlarsen 5y ago
      The VLEO orbit for Gen2 is 340km, and will comprise the bulk of the satellites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink#cite_note-sn20170917-33 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink#cite_note-sn20170917-...
      - shagie 5y ago
        > SpaceX has two constellation applications pending FCC approval — one for a 4,425 satellite constellation operating in Ka- and Ku-band from around 1,200 kilometers, and another for 7,518 V-band satellites flying between 335 and 345 kilometers. I am not aware of any Starlink satellites currently in either of those two orbits.
        bryanlarsen 5y ago
        Yes, I used future tense in my comments.
- mlindner 5y ago
  How about linking to the original source rather than a poor copy? https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/ld4vlq/gabbard_diagram_animation_of_space_debris_since/ https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/ld4vlq/gabbard_diagr... Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRUaENzxH44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRUaENzxH44
bagels 5y ago
Many third parties have analyzed it. FCC, Nasa, their competitors, and others.
- vmception 5y ago
  To the people that provided third party analysis, thank you, to everyone else, be like those people.

Analysis of what, exactly? The physics of the orbits they are in are pretty well understood. You can track the orbital altitudes (and failures/disposals) here: https://planet4589.org/space/stats/star/starstats.html https://planet4589.org/space/stats/star/starstats.html

vmception 5y ago
well, exactly that, to me that meant "any source aside from SpaceX" and you provided it so thanks.

myself248 5y ago

The search term "Gabbard diagram" should tell you all you need to know. Especially if you find some animated ones. Here's a particularly nice one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ijKirDjwOU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ijKirDjwOU The Gabbard diagram is a way of expressing the orbital locations and decay of the particles produced as a result of an orbital collision. Note how higher objects tend to stay high for a long time, but low objects (below about 600km) drift lower at an appreciable timescale, and once they're below about 500km they fall the rest of the way very very quickly. Starlink satellites deploy to 550-km orbits. Edit: Oh, these were launched into a 210-km orbit, which combined with the higher atmospheric density due to the geomagnetic storm, basically dragged them back down before they could raise to their normal orbit. Oof.

bryanlarsen 5y ago
Even more strongly, SpaceX launches to a ~200km orbit and has the satellites raise themselves. This way any satellites without attitude control deorbit immediately. Also, the vast majority of SpaceX satellites will be at 350km.
- shagie 5y ago
  Your numbers are a bit on the low side. They start off at a 350 km ( https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=50803 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=50803 was launched earlier this year). They then raise them to about a 550 km orbit for its operational lifetime ( https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=45102 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=45102 ) And then they lower it a bit, and it decays more rapidly ( https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44249 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44249 ) Another one that didn't go operational - https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44282 https://in-the-sky.org/spacecraft.php?id=44282 - you can see it go up, fail, get lowered, and decay.
  - bryanlarsen 5y ago
    The VLEO orbit for Gen2 is 340km, and will comprise the bulk of the satellites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink#cite_note-sn20170917-33 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink#cite_note-sn20170917-...
    - shagie 5y ago
      > SpaceX has two constellation applications pending FCC approval — one for a 4,425 satellite constellation operating in Ka- and Ku-band from around 1,200 kilometers, and another for 7,518 V-band satellites flying between 335 and 345 kilometers. I am not aware of any Starlink satellites currently in either of those two orbits.
      - bryanlarsen 5y ago
        Yes, I used future tense in my comments.
mlindner 5y ago
How about linking to the original source rather than a poor copy? https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/ld4vlq/gabbard_diagram_animation_of_space_debris_since/ https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/ld4vlq/gabbard_diagr... Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRUaENzxH44 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRUaENzxH44

bagels 5y ago

Many third parties have analyzed it. FCC, Nasa, their competitors, and others.

vmception 5y ago
To the people that provided third party analysis, thank you, to everyone else, be like those people.