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That is a very deceptive video/article (at least the first half above the paywall). It is true that a few of these sats will have to come down each day, but the

That is a very deceptive video/article (at least the first half above the paywall). It is true that a few of these sats will have to come down each day, but the video is of a booster failure/explosion, not a normal planned obsolescence sat re-entry. And re-entry is part of the cleanup plan. All satellites responsibly launched need a plan to deal with possible orbital waste. By decommissioning in this way, we're reducing overall impact of the constellation. Given the immense possible good worldwide internet can provide, and the virtuous cycle it creates for the US launch industry, it's really hard to take these claims seriously.

youngtaff 1y ago
> And re-entry is part of the cleanup plan Polluting the upper atmosphere with copper, aluminium and other compounds with unknown consequences is hardly a cleanup plan
- ftchd 1y ago
  if you combine all the fallen starlink satellites and the debris/waste they produce in a year, it comes down to about less than 0.1% of what the earth receives from space in the same year
  - BriggyDwiggs42 1y ago
    Is that true? I recall seeing a 16% or so number for the increase in mass burning up in the atmosphere. Edit: I can’t find a source for any number for the increase. If you know could you share one? Ah nevermind this seems solid https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273117720307663?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S02731...
    - jvanderbot 1y ago
      100 tons/day from NASA https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/asteroid-fast-facts/ https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/asteroid-fast-fa...
      - BriggyDwiggs42 1y ago
        Okay, that makes sense. The reading I did indicated that the composition of the man-made mass is very different, and could greatly elevate the amount of certain elements released in the upper atmosphere, like aluminum. Is this not cause for concern?
        jvanderbot 1y ago
        I think the answer is "nobody knows"
- peterfirefly 1y ago
  Meteorites are a thing, you know.
boudin 1y ago
I believe that an atmosphere compatible with human life is a bit more useful than internet by satelite. The fact that the impact of re-entry of satelites is absolute insane. Any good engineering company would study the whole impact of scaling up before doing so. The fact that spacex didn't do that is really worrying and regulation should come to stop what they are doing asap until the impact is better understood. Some more serious engineers at Japan aerospace are studying wooden satelite which is a quite approach to the problem.
- jvanderbot 1y ago
  I am not aware of threats to the atmosphere from the entry at a 100kg/day scale. And nobody is. At this point risks are hypothetical to the ozone or other layers.
  - sleepybrett 1y ago
    I'm aware of the threats to the atmosphere from repeated and frequent rocket launches.
    - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
      > I'm aware of the threats to the atmosphere from repeated and frequent rocket launches Educate us on how methalox rockets are a significant environmental concern?
  - fumblertzu 1y ago
    if the aersols do cause any problems we're done for quite a while as they do not seem to come down. As I understand it the amount of aerosol will be quite significant in this layer of athmosphere. https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/427_0428.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/427_0428.html
ramon156 1y ago
> the immense possible good worldwide internet It's hard to take your argument seriously if you think that's more important than preserving the environment
- jvanderbot 1y ago
  It is impossible to make any improvement without some impact. We're way, way past any real problems when discussing a few 100kg of metal falling into the upper atmosphere every day.
- JumpCrisscross 1y ago
  > hard to take your argument seriously if you think that's more important than preserving the environment Okay, go convince a few billion Indians and Chinese they should wait to industrialize because the environment can’t take it.
  - jvanderbot 1y ago
    What does this have to do with anything ITT?
    - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
      > What does this have to do with anything ITT? Growth versus preservation. India is trashing its air quality burning coal near its cities. Yet that power is lifting millions out of poverty and into the world's second-largest middle class. Everyone would prefer clean air ceteris paribus. But for a lot of those people, economic security is "more important than preserving the environment."

youngtaff 1y ago

> And re-entry is part of the cleanup plan Polluting the upper atmosphere with copper, aluminium and other compounds with unknown consequences is hardly a cleanup plan

ftchd 1y ago
if you combine all the fallen starlink satellites and the debris/waste they produce in a year, it comes down to about less than 0.1% of what the earth receives from space in the same year
- BriggyDwiggs42 1y ago
  Is that true? I recall seeing a 16% or so number for the increase in mass burning up in the atmosphere. Edit: I can’t find a source for any number for the increase. If you know could you share one? Ah nevermind this seems solid https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273117720307663?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S02731...
  - jvanderbot 1y ago
    100 tons/day from NASA https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/asteroid-fast-facts/ https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/asteroid-fast-fa...
    - BriggyDwiggs42 1y ago
      Okay, that makes sense. The reading I did indicated that the composition of the man-made mass is very different, and could greatly elevate the amount of certain elements released in the upper atmosphere, like aluminum. Is this not cause for concern?
      - jvanderbot 1y ago
        I think the answer is "nobody knows"
peterfirefly 1y ago
Meteorites are a thing, you know.

boudin 1y ago

I believe that an atmosphere compatible with human life is a bit more useful than internet by satelite. The fact that the impact of re-entry of satelites is absolute insane. Any good engineering company would study the whole impact of scaling up before doing so. The fact that spacex didn't do that is really worrying and regulation should come to stop what they are doing asap until the impact is better understood. Some more serious engineers at Japan aerospace are studying wooden satelite which is a quite approach to the problem.

jvanderbot 1y ago
I am not aware of threats to the atmosphere from the entry at a 100kg/day scale. And nobody is. At this point risks are hypothetical to the ozone or other layers.
- sleepybrett 1y ago
  I'm aware of the threats to the atmosphere from repeated and frequent rocket launches.
  - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
    > I'm aware of the threats to the atmosphere from repeated and frequent rocket launches Educate us on how methalox rockets are a significant environmental concern?
- fumblertzu 1y ago
  if the aersols do cause any problems we're done for quite a while as they do not seem to come down. As I understand it the amount of aerosol will be quite significant in this layer of athmosphere. https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/427_0428.html https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2025/427_0428.html

ramon156 1y ago

> the immense possible good worldwide internet It's hard to take your argument seriously if you think that's more important than preserving the environment

jvanderbot 1y ago
It is impossible to make any improvement without some impact. We're way, way past any real problems when discussing a few 100kg of metal falling into the upper atmosphere every day.
JumpCrisscross 1y ago
> hard to take your argument seriously if you think that's more important than preserving the environment Okay, go convince a few billion Indians and Chinese they should wait to industrialize because the environment can’t take it.
- jvanderbot 1y ago
  What does this have to do with anything ITT?
  - JumpCrisscross 1y ago
    > What does this have to do with anything ITT? Growth versus preservation. India is trashing its air quality burning coal near its cities. Yet that power is lifting millions out of poverty and into the world's second-largest middle class. Everyone would prefer clean air ceteris paribus. But for a lot of those people, economic security is "more important than preserving the environment."