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There have already been six "Unintentional high-speed collisions between active satellites and orbital debris" [0], the most recent of which was in 2021. There
by MegaDeKay 3y ago
There have already been six "Unintentional high-speed collisions between active satellites and orbital debris" [0], the most recent of which was in 2021.
There is more to worry about than just tracking satellites following "extremely well known paths". You could have a situation like Intelsat 29e [1] where a satellite is torn to pieces, creating a debris field with parts too small to track. You can't avoid what you can't see.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_collision https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_collision
[1] https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/new-video-of-intelsat-29e-satellite-reveals-dramatic-anomaly/ https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/new-video-of-intelsa...