Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network
by maccam94 on Friday April 06, 2018 @05:42PM
(#16777714)
yeah, from what I've read they will have enough fuel to stay aloft for ~5 years. They won't be a source of permanent space debris.
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Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network
by oh_sigh on Friday April 06, 2018 @06:09PM
(#16777915)
Isn't space debris more about collisions which spew out thousands of tiny bits which are hard to track and may have a ludicrous velocity relative to things they run into? AIUI, large objects a relatively easy to track and avoid if you have the gas and are on a collision course.
Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network
by Kemschumam on Saturday April 07, 2018 @09:08AM
(#16780551)
The majority of currently tracked space debris is the result of a single anti-satellite missile test China conducted. So less collisions more weapon based destruction. And any future conflict (between nation's reliant upon gps guided weapons)will likely start with anti-satellite warfare. This worries me greatly.
Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network
by maccam94 on Friday April 06, 2018 @08:55PM
(#16778803)
The worst kind of space debris sits in orbits outside of the atmosphere where there is negligible drag. Since these satellites will be in very low orbits that require propulsion to stay aloft, any potential debris from collisions or inoperable satellites will fall back to Earth relatively quickly.