6 ms·

They launch into a LEO explicitly so this can happen and it won't be a problem.

• hinkley 4y ago
  The complaints I’ve heard is that LEO is great but there’s a carrying capacity for any orbit and people are worried that starlink is over that limit even for LEO. I’m not orbital mechanics expert but when we discussed it at the time I believe it was agreed that a collision can launch debris into higher orbits but on a parabolic path, so if it doesn’t encounter anything else in a couple orbits it probably never will. Also some of the LEO SpaceX has been approved for are higher than the ISS, not just lower. Kessler is mostly worried about long term debris patterns, but one that cleans itself up in a few months could still cause a many billions in damage and loss of life. Also starlink enables some terrestrial activities that might not be wise without it. A cascade could leave some earthbound people fucked as well. That’s partially on them of course, but the optics are not great.
• walrus01 4y ago
  All starlink satellites are LEO, just varying degrees of it. They release the satellites from the second stage deliberately quite low, because it's more efficient in total weight carried by second stage, and more efficient in specific impulse to spend weight in kilograms of propellant tankage on the satellite for ion/hall effect type thrusters (specific impulses of 2000 ISP and greater) than to place N additional kg of fuel on the second stage to release them all in a higher orbit. At the release altitude they're above the vast majority of the earth's atmosphere and solar panels + ion thruster burning prograde are sufficient to raise their altitudes to the intended operational orbit.