Study on the affect of Starlink networks

[N1 (Mirko)]

Apart from the fact that it's cluttering near-earth space (is this really the best solution for communication that humans have managed to come up with in 2021???), I see certain potential vulnerabilities with this system, if it turns out to be something that communities of even countries actually depend on. To them, a Carrington or Kessler type event (the latter could even be brought about intentionally) wouldn't present such good prospects.

[DamienB (Damien)]

I have seen the starlinks drift across and through Acrux on a clear night, usually around 9pm or so. Whilst it's great to marvel at human technology advances, I start to think about all the unused junk thats out there.


Only recently I heard an interview on ABC adelaide with a lady who is classed as a Space Architect. She is studying the junk thats there. What I can't understand is why we can't retrieve it?


Yes i am aware they are moving quickly, but with say SpaceX's technology and money, develop orbiting satellites that can be controlled to clean up the junk, somehow gather and return to earth, or bundle up and push it through atmosphere to burn up? 🤷*♂️🤷*♀️


Surely at some point the junk up there is a huge danger to future projects. Aka launching rockets, commercial flights into orbit etc. Imagine hearing in 20 years "25 people died on a virgin galactic flight, it was believed they collided with the left overs of an AOL satellite from 1996"


Damien

[lazjen (Chris)]

Originally Posted by DamienB

Only recently I heard an interview on ABC adelaide with a lady who is classed as a Space Architect. She is studying the junk thats there. What I can't understand is why we can't retrieve it?

Money, it is as simple as that. Who pays for it? How do you change the economic incentives to get everyone to do the right thing and not "pollute"?

Originally Posted by DamienB

Surely at some point the junk up there is a huge danger to future projects. Aka launching rockets, commercial flights into orbit etc. Imagine hearing in 20 years "25 people died on a virgin galactic flight, it was believed they collided with the left overs of an AOL satellite from 1996"

Check out Kessler Syndrome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome