4 ms·
No one wants to de-orbit anything, because of the small chance that it hits something important on the ground, and the added fuel cost, it's easier and cheaper
by WatchDog 2y ago
No one wants to de-orbit anything, because of the small chance that it hits something important on the ground, and the added fuel cost, it's easier and cheaper to just leave things in a graveyard orbit.
Maybe if starship achieves it's goals of rapid re-usability, then active debris removal could be affordable.
In the mean time it would make sense for some kind of international agreement that requires all launches plan for de-orbiting of their debris.
- naikrovek 2y agoGraveyard orbits are not the problem. Low earth orbits are the problem. Debris in LEO will be slowed by the atmosphere and will fall to earth naturally, but it will be dozens of decades for the higher altitude stuff and many dozens of years for all but the lowest altitude stuff. The only feasible way to clean this up that I’m aware of, really, is to stop making new debris and wait.