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They should rename it to Amazon Project Kessler because thats what they are going to cause.
by elliotpage 5y ago
They should rename it to Amazon Project Kessler because thats what they are going to cause.
- donkarma 5y agodo you realise how small one satellite is?
- frayesto 5y agowell, the kessler syndrome [1] is a real phenomenon and has real consequences. More satellites == more debris == high probability of collisions which can create a positive feedback loop. It requires real management and processes ahead of time, not after the fact. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome
- tengbretson 5y agoWhat about it is a real phenomenon at this point?
- onion2k 5y agoIf they're comparable with Starlink satellites they're 1/4 of a ton each, and made of a lot of parts that could fragment on impact. That's small in satellite terms, but you wouldn't want to try to pick one up.
- bryanlarsen 5y agoWhen a satellite collides with a different satellite in the same orbit, none of the parts move to a higher energy orbit, and most move to a lower energy orbit. Given that the original orbit is 380 miles, almost all fragments will immediately deorbit due to atmospheric drag.
- Aachen 5y agoWait, starlink sats are 250kg? Given their number and all they have to do is forward some packets (no big equipment like a telescope), I kinda figured they'd be a few kilos each, like a bit more fancy than a cubesat.
- onion2k 5y agoI'm actually a little out of date - the newest ones are about 300kg. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink
- terafo 5y agoIt won't. Any sat can't be on LEO long without constant orbit corrections. And bunch of scrap that is created by few sats colliding will just burn in atmosphere in just few months(maybe years).