5 ms·

I fear this is only the start of it. A minimum of 3-4 constellations more will probably be launched in the near future (Russia, China, EU). Their obvious dual-

I fear this is only the start of it. A minimum of 3-4 constellations more will probably be launched in the near future (Russia, China, EU). Their obvious dual-use nature makes them tempting, and a military target if a large conflict will take place in the near future. I hope their lower orbit will help any space junk burn up fast.

aaron695 5mo ago
[dead]
mark-r 5mo ago
If you blow up a satellite, half of it will end up going slower and half will go faster. The slower bits will probably burn up nicely, but the faster bits will just elevate their orbit.
- bluGill 5mo ago
  I doubt they will elevate their orbit by enough to be a problem. Some bits will come down in hours, some will come down in a year - even in the worst case where it takes out everything in low earth orbit in 5 years everything will be clear and we can start over. Higher orbits are the real worry, even the things slowed down mostly stay in orbit for centuries - but higher orbits are mostly a lot higher.
  - moffkalast 5mo ago
    Don't be so sure: https://stuffin-space.vader.zone/ https://stuffin-space.vader.zone/ The Iridium-Kosmos collision fragments have been up there since 2009, and that's a massive spray of junk just from one disintegration in LEO.
    - zamadatix 5mo ago
      "LEO" is a big place, those satellites collided ~1.5x higher than e.g. the maximum Starlink altitude and the debris lifetime relationship is not a linear one.
- zamadatix 5mo ago
  It'll elongate the orbit, which is a bit better of a scenario than elevating it wholesale.
- marcosdumay 5mo ago
  In either case, you will increase the section area / volume ratio, what makes the fragments fall from LEO faster.
gorgoiler 5mo ago
Add a black umbrella to each satellite: when they pass through the critical region where they are visible in the night sky while still being sunlit, pop the brollies up. We will fly them in the shade! You could paint them black but they’d probably get quite hot.
- fluoridation 5mo ago
  Won't the shade then reflect the light instead? It's nighttime, so sunlight will be aimed up, from the Earth-based observer's point of view, so the shade will need to be pointed down in order to shade the satellite.

aaron695 5mo ago

[dead]

mark-r 5mo ago

If you blow up a satellite, half of it will end up going slower and half will go faster. The slower bits will probably burn up nicely, but the faster bits will just elevate their orbit.

bluGill 5mo ago
I doubt they will elevate their orbit by enough to be a problem. Some bits will come down in hours, some will come down in a year - even in the worst case where it takes out everything in low earth orbit in 5 years everything will be clear and we can start over. Higher orbits are the real worry, even the things slowed down mostly stay in orbit for centuries - but higher orbits are mostly a lot higher.
- moffkalast 5mo ago
  Don't be so sure: https://stuffin-space.vader.zone/ https://stuffin-space.vader.zone/ The Iridium-Kosmos collision fragments have been up there since 2009, and that's a massive spray of junk just from one disintegration in LEO.
  - zamadatix 5mo ago
    "LEO" is a big place, those satellites collided ~1.5x higher than e.g. the maximum Starlink altitude and the debris lifetime relationship is not a linear one.
zamadatix 5mo ago
It'll elongate the orbit, which is a bit better of a scenario than elevating it wholesale.
marcosdumay 5mo ago
In either case, you will increase the section area / volume ratio, what makes the fragments fall from LEO faster.

gorgoiler 5mo ago

Add a black umbrella to each satellite: when they pass through the critical region where they are visible in the night sky while still being sunlit, pop the brollies up. We will fly them in the shade! You could paint them black but they’d probably get quite hot.

fluoridation 5mo ago
Won't the shade then reflect the light instead? It's nighttime, so sunlight will be aimed up, from the Earth-based observer's point of view, so the shade will need to be pointed down in order to shade the satellite.