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Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

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Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#2
10,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth?? I didn't know there were so many, really so many.

Their presence has already radically transformed the orbital environment.

There are so many that in 2025 alone they performed around 300,000 collision avoidance maneuvers.

In short: on the one hand, they're convenient for us because of their fantastic internet connection, but on the other, they're generating truly unprecedented artificial traffic in space.

All this worries me a little.

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#3
What I found so fascinating about starling is how easy it was for a single country, even a single company in this case, to pollute near-earth space.

I understand the mechanics of LEO, and the de-orbit mechanics put in place. But the world-wide impact, unknown side-effects on the upper layers of atmosphere on the re-entry of literally thousands of satellites within fairly short period of time?

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#4
post #2

10,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth?? I didn't know there were so many, really so many. Their presence has already radically transformed the orbital environment. There are so many that in 2025 alone they performed around 300,000 collision avoidance maneuvers. In short: on the one hand, they're convenient for us because of their fantastic internet connection, but on the other, they're generating truly unprec…

You shouldn't be worried about it, these satellites are in Low Earth Orbits that readily decay if the satellites don't regularly reboost themselves using their electric thrusters. And performing collision avoidance maneuvers is just part of how they're designed to work. Note that its 300,000 avoidances, not collisions. These are more like ballerinas than careening billiard balls.

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#5
post #2

10,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth?? I didn't know there were so many, really so many. Their presence has already radically transformed the orbital environment. There are so many that in 2025 alone they performed around 300,000 collision avoidance maneuvers. In short: on the one hand, they're convenient for us because of their fantastic internet connection, but on the other, they're generating truly unprec…

Imagine a threat actor blowing up one or two of them. Or malfunction leading to collision with a launcher. Or any satellite malfunction and failure to de-orbit in time.

Remember MAD, mutual assured distraction? Well we created another one for access to space

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#6
post #2

10,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth?? I didn't know there were so many, really so many. Their presence has already radically transformed the orbital environment. There are so many that in 2025 alone they performed around 300,000 collision avoidance maneuvers. In short: on the one hand, they're convenient for us because of their fantastic internet connection, but on the other, they're generating truly unprec…

You shouldn't be worried about it, these satellites are in Low Earth Orbits that readily decay if the satellites don't regularly reboost themselves using their electric thrusters. And performing collision avoidance maneuvers is just part of how they're designed to work. Note that its 300,000 avoidances, not collisions. These are more like ballerinas than careening billiard balls.

True, but at scale of 10k, chances of collision due to malfunction are not 0.

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#7

What I found so fascinating about starling is how easy it was for a single country, even a single company in this case, to pollute near-earth space. I understand the mechanics of LEO, and the de-orbit mechanics put in place. But the world-wide impact, unknown side-effects on the upper layers of atmosphere on the re-entry of literally thousands of satellites within fairly short period of time?

On a bad year, there might be a few hundred tons of Starlink satellites reentering the atmosphere. In the same year, there will be something like 5000 tons of meteors reentrying, and if you include space dust that radars don't see, you're looking at a few times more than that.

This appeal to scary ignorance to poop on a technology is a cynical reflex. Instead of just saying that a bare number with no context scares you, you should dig deeper and try to actually back up or invalidate your fears.

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You shouldn't be worried about it, these satellites are in Low Earth Orbits that readily decay if the satellites don't regularly reboost themselves using their electric thrusters. And performing collision avoidance maneuvers is just part of how they're designed to work. Note that its 300,000 avoidances, not collisions. These are more like ballerinas than careening billiard balls.

True, but at scale of 10k, chances of collision due to malfunction are not 0.

And so what if they collide? This isn’t Kessler syndrome territory, it’s low enough orbit that debris would re-enter and burn up rapidly. You’d lose the colliding satellites, and that’s likely all.

Not that there has been a single starlink collision, but y’know.

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You shouldn't be worried about it, these satellites are in Low Earth Orbits that readily decay if the satellites don't regularly reboost themselves using their electric thrusters. And performing collision avoidance maneuvers is just part of how they're designed to work. Note that its 300,000 avoidances, not collisions. These are more like ballerinas than careening billiard balls.

True, but at scale of 10k, chances of collision due to malfunction are not 0.

Nobody says the chance of a collisions is zero. That's why it being in LEO is relevant. Internet fools who just get scared by the big number without considering the details of the situation always get this wrong.

Re: Animation 10k Starlink Satellites

#10
post #2

10,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth?? I didn't know there were so many, really so many. Their presence has already radically transformed the orbital environment. There are so many that in 2025 alone they performed around 300,000 collision avoidance maneuvers. In short: on the one hand, they're convenient for us because of their fantastic internet connection, but on the other, they're generating truly unprec…

Imagine a threat actor blowing up one or two of them. Or malfunction leading to collision with a launcher. Or any satellite malfunction and failure to de-orbit in time. Remember MAD, mutual assured distraction? Well we created another one for access to space

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