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Earlier quoted context omitted.
An entire launch worth of satellites is not a "rounding error." The carbon impact of just one launch is pretty obscene.
In context of 1700 starlink satellites already in orbit and 30+ launches that put them there, it’s a rounding error. Same goes for carbon impact, etc.
40 sats makes up about 2% of the current fleet - so a rounding error in cost and time. The important part of this news is how those 40 sats deorbit and leave no junk either in orbit or on earth.
"up to 40 of the satellites will reenter or already have reentered the Earth’s atmosphere. The deorbiting satellites pose zero collision risk with other satellites and by design demise upon atmospheric reentry—meaning no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts hit the ground."
The satellites are deliberately inserted into a low orbit so that any that fail to initialize properly will get pulled down by atmospheric drag. After successful initialization, they travel to a higher orbit (where presumably deorbiting under failure is more of an issue).
What's crazy to me is that 50 years ago, losing 40 satellites would have been a significant portion of all satellites ever launched . Today, it's a temporary setback for a company that launched nearly one thousand satellites last year.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In context of 1700 starlink satellites already in orbit and 30+ launches that put them there, it’s a rounding error. Same goes for carbon impact, etc.
1700 - 40 = 1660. Rounded it to the nearest integer.
1.700e3 rounded -> 2e3
1.660e3 rounded -> 2e3
Put another way: if your bill for lunch is $16.60, wouldn't you just as easily call it $17? Or even $20, if you're feeling a bit imprecise?
What's crazy to me is that 50 years ago, losing 40 satellites would have been a significant portion of all satellites ever launched . Today, it's a temporary setback for a company that launched nearly one thousand satellites last year.
That's part of the reason there's just so much junk flying around in orbit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome
Of all press releases in recent memory, this is the one that reads the most like hard science fiction.
I think the press release is lacking in detail. For example, they completely fail to disclose whether recovery was attempted by rerouting power from life support to the structural integrity field.
Of all press releases in recent memory, this is the one that reads the most like hard science fiction.
what's cool is, it doesn't even feel futuristic anymore.
40 sats makes up about 2% of the current fleet - so a rounding error in cost and time. The important part of this news is how those 40 sats deorbit and leave no junk either in orbit or on earth.
An entire launch worth of satellites is not a "rounding error." The carbon impact of just one launch is pretty obscene.