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The short lifespan in LEO is because there is still a tiny amount of air resistance so the satellites eventually slow down and fall back to earth. This means t
by seanflyon 12y ago
The short lifespan in LEO is because there is still a tiny amount of air resistance so the satellites eventually slow down and fall back to earth. This means that space junk can still be a problem in LEO, but only a temporary one and I would not be concerned with a few thousand small boxes in a very large sky.
- dogma1138 12y agoActually junk in LEO is very problematic, you have to pass trough LEO to get any where. LEO is the only feasible placement for permanent/long term special habitats. Junk in LEO tends to have very erratic orbits, and small junk tends to skip on-top of the atmosphere like rocks on the surface of a pond rather than just crash and burn. LEO junk is also much harder to track due to the limited coverage earth based stations have. And i don't know about you but i will be very worried about 100,000's of bullet sized fragments of silicon carbide (the stuff they make brake discs from for high end sports cars) potting used for high end electronics flying around at 30,000 Km/h...
- seanflyon 12y agoI agree that junk in LEO could be problematic, but I think that we should base that assessment off correct information.