3 ms·
It's not as big a problem as it seems. Space is big, even tethers are small, the amount of time between a collision occurring would normally be quite long. Sate
by InclinedPlane 13y ago
It's not as big a problem as it seems. Space is big, even tethers are small, the amount of time between a collision occurring would normally be quite long. Satellites can have their orbits adjusted just enough every once in a while to avoid the tether.
The value of the tether would be so high that it would be worth the cost of keeping every satellite diverted around it.
- flurdy 13y agoThat would assume you could adjust all the satellites' orbits. Whilst some satellites have proper propulsion, I think many just have minor systems to only adjust their rotation, and a lot have none. And don't forget all the dead ones that are orbiting space junk.
- InclinedPlane 13y agoSo you decommission and deorbit anything that can't be controlled. Once you have a functional beanstalk the entire cost/benefit of doing everything in space changes. It becomes a lot easier to put things in orbit and it becomes a lot more important to keep the beanstalk up.