5 ms·
Sounds like tracking would help. If the re-entry is controlled, why not broadcast transponder info from the reentering parts so they appear on airplane displays
by JoeAltmaier 2y ago
Sounds like tracking would help. If the re-entry is controlled, why not broadcast transponder info from the reentering parts so they appear on airplane displays? Then they can adjust course, just as they do any other aircraft in their flight path.
- bagels 2y agoPlasmas are going to block the signals for at least some of the phases.
- wkat4242 2y agoYes and also, these parts are not made for pristine reentry, it's very likely they'll split up in different parts. How do you make sure every part has a transponder and it doesn't burn up?
- DiggyJohnson 2y agoLast launch had no blackout period, why would this one?
- bagels 2y agoTransponder signals don't get transmitted on starlink, which transmits in the shadow of the plasma, towards space.
- russdill 2y agoThe south indian ocean is the re-entry site for the 2nd stage of their next starship flight test, which will (should) re-enter in one piece so the risk of falling debris is certainly not trivial and unfortunately the size of the hazard region is also not trivial. They've rescheduled a few times now and each time operators flying in this region have to shuffle things around.
- phkahler 2y agoThey're also going to deploy several fake starlink sats which will re-enter in the same area but with no control AFICT so those will cover more area.
- BurningFrog 2y agoAre they maybe small enough to disintegrate before reaching human altitudes?
- m4rtink 2y agoNormal starlinks are built like that and it is not easy. Could be just not worth it for one-off mass simulators.
- JoeAltmaier 2y agoMy point exactly. Airplanes are big too, and there are existing procedures to avoid collision with marked objects in the sky e.g. other planes. By listening to the transponder messages which give altitude, GPS location, velocity and call sign you can 'see' the stage as it moves through the air like any other vehicle traffic.
- adolph 2y ago> why not broadcast transponder info Do rockets broadcast ADS-B? Trad terrestrial ADS-B: https://www.flightaware.com/adsb/ https://www.flightaware.com/adsb/ Space-based ADS-B: https://aireon.com/its-just-ads-b/ https://aireon.com/its-just-ads-b/
- JoeAltmaier 2y agoThey do if they install one.
- adolph 2y agoKinda hard to do now
- JoeAltmaier 2y agoConfused. There are rockets we can't work on somewhere now? I think SpaceX has them all where they can work on them.