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I'd like to see a breakdown of deorbiting fuel requirements with 25 years vs 5 years vs, say, 30 days.
by causi 4y ago
I'd like to see a breakdown of deorbiting fuel requirements with 25 years vs 5 years vs, say, 30 days.
- rzimmerman 4y agoI'd expect the fuel required is generally the same, but this changes the altitude range for the question "do I need propulsion at all?" Satellites that would decay naturally in 6-10 years due to atmospheric drag would have satisfied the old rule. Now they need to install a propulsion system. The actual impact is probably small - there aren't that many satellites launching to those altitudes, and most of them probably have a propulsion system anyway. But for a university satellite this could be a big obstacle.
- xani_ 4y ago> Now they need to install a propulsion system. Or just add more drag. Like deploying big sail.