UN Bans Mercury Satellite Propellants Under New Minamata Treaty Provisions

Re:UN Bans Mercury Satellite Propellants Under New Minamata ... by Arainach on Tuesday March 29, 2022 @02:47AM (#30839577)

Starlink alone has launched more than 2,000 satellites already and plans a total of at least 12,000. That's a lot of fuel - and that's just one constellation.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:UN Bans Mercury Satellite Propellants Under New Minamata ... by krisoft on Tuesday March 29, 2022 @06:58AM (#30841007)

> That's a lot of fuel - and that's just one constellation.

Is that a lot of fuel? 5kg times 12000 is about 60 tonne. That's the weight of two big truck approximately. In which sense is that a lot of fuel?

And besides krypton is a noble gas, it doesn't react with anything.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:UN Bans Mercury Satellite Propellants Under New Minamata ... by Arainach on Tuesday March 29, 2022 @11:20AM (#30843752)

60 tons of Krypton, eh. 60 tons of Mercury is huge.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:UN Bans Mercury Satellite Propellants Under New Minamata ... by krisoft on Thursday March 31, 2022 @06:35PM (#30872995)

I agree with you.

[ Parent | on HN ]