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aboy021 t1_j5nnfiq wrote

I'm expecting that this will end in a cascade of space junk, as in the movie Gravity, and we'll be forced to use airships and solar powered drones. Sounds rather idyllic in a way.

Edit: As per one reply, according to Wikipedia "a large part" of the star link network would de-orbit after about 5 years due to atmospheric drag.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome

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ACCount82 t1_j5npctk wrote

Kessler syndrome is incredibly overrated. And those megaconstellations sit in LEO - even the sats that die entirely would deorbit from there and burn up within a decade.

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Angrybagel t1_j5pjpbv wrote

I'm not too worried about starlink given how low it is, but why do you think that in general? Are things like anti satellite missile tests worrying to you?

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ACCount82 t1_j5pngik wrote

The main thing is: active Kessler syndrome prevents you from staying in a select orbit, or a group of orbits, long term.

It's not that much of a danger to passing spaceships - the main hazard is to satellites and space stations. You can still reach Moon or Mars with Kessler syndrome ongoing. And it's avoidable even for stationary objects if you don't need a very specific orbit. This is why GEO, the main "very specific orbit", is so tightly regulated - it's one of the worst orbits to lose to Kessler syndrome.

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Bensemus t1_j5r5eqf wrote

They are definitely way worse than constellations. It however seems countries have stopped doing them.

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Iceykitsune2 t1_j5ondyw wrote

Starlink satellites are so low that they naturally deorbit.

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ChronoLegion2 t1_j5p8t9x wrote

Gravity overdid the concept. Anything flying that fast would shoot off into space. Orbit quite literally depends on your speed in relation to the planet. If you’re moving much faster, you can’t remain in the same orbit, since an orbit is just a path you follow when you fall and miss the ground (as Douglas Adams would put it)

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mooseGoose89 t1_j5pb1hk wrote

This is incorrect.

The speed required for an object to go into space and orbit the Earth (orbital velocity) is about 28,000 km/hr (17,500 mph) at low earth orbit.

It's not impossible to have two objects in LEO traveling in opposite directions. Not sure what you think, but 56,000km/hr is fast enough to do unstoppable damage if they were to collide.

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ChronoLegion2 t1_j5pjl1k wrote

Huh. Didn’t think about them moving in opposite directions

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mooseGoose89 t1_j5pln41 wrote

Opposite directions might be a bit of a stretch in reality. But, at those velocities, any angular collision would also be pretty catastrophic.

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