Prof. Sam Lawler
After absurd travel, I am back at home after advocating to anyone who would listen at the UNOOSA workshop for fewer satellites with longer operational lifetimes. I had a lot of great chats and got my point across very well. But I also saw the frantic pace of future sat launches.
As we turned onto my rural road, and I finally saw my gorgeous prairie skies again, what was there to greet me? A FUCKING STARLINK TRAIN. I can't express how angry that made me.
I will keep fighting. I have to.
Nichelle Seely VOTED
@sundogplanets I wish there was a requirement for satellite users to do a lifetime use plan, which also included a way to get the satellite out of orbit. Some entrepreneur needs to come up with a space sweeper business that harvests old space hardware.
John Abbe (aka Slow)
@Instrument_Data @sundogplanets @Nichelle Bezos will be able to start launching his system maybe next year, and then yeah at *least* China will have their own.
We need agreements. Use current understandings and some best guesses, adjust as research comes in. Dark skies, collisions, satellite servicing/retirement, etc. It could be an uplifting international, public/private conference, if done well.
Relevant: Jesse Kate Shingler did a great talk on the commons in space. https://www.ted.com/talks/jessy_kate_schingler_civilization_on_the_moon_and_what_it_means_for_life_on_earth
Instrument_Data
@slowenough
Yeah the pollution can be a problem, and SpaceX will not be the only one, other nations will follow.
@sundogplanets @Nichelle
John Abbe (aka Slow)
@Instrument_Data @sundogplanets @Nichelle Yes, they are built to deorbit on a relatively few years. And break up in the atmosphere, releasing a lot of particulate materials. In the quantities we're now talking about this is likely to affect the ozone layer, among other things.
It's being studied now, but it would be smart for SpaceX to start making plans now for how satellites can be deorbitted less destructively, maybe even reused!
Instrument_Data
@sundogplanets
I only found info about the starlink satellites being in low orbit.
Maybe there are other in higher orbits but I found no info about that.
@Nichelle
Prof. Sam Lawler
@Instrument_Data @Nichelle Perhaps because it isn't true.
Instrument_Data
@Nichelle
All starlink satellites are in low orbit and will deorbit by themselves, they can orbit at most for ten years or so.
I wonder why this is never said.
@sundogplanets
Nichelle Seely VOTED
@slowenough @Instrument_Data @sundogplanets That TED talk looks interesting, I'll give it a watch.
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