Re:SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites
by ahje on Friday November 16, 2018 @05:12AM
(#18467759)
> That single collision turned two satellites into two thousand high-velocity projectiles, too.
Just to add to that point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Envisat#Space_safety
A single 10kg. chunk of debris could result in over 8 tonnes of additional debris, triggering a rather nasty chain reaction.
Part of the problem, though, is that said Xerox machine is traveling at 17,000 miles per hour.
We've already had a collision (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision) between two of the ~3-4k satellites in orbit. SpaceX's constellation is planned to be double that number.
That single collision turned two satellites into two thousand high-velocity projectiles, too.