Saturday, August 17, 2024

Before We Put Half a Million Broadband Satellites in Orbit

The US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG), a federation of public interest advocacy groups, has asked the FCC to halt low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite launches until the environmental consequences of space pollution can be better managed.

Posted by LampLighter at 07:32 AM | 13 COMMENTS | permalink

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... Those concerns were underscored on Thursday when one of China's Long March 6A rockets broke apart in LEO after deploying 18 satellites for Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology group's Thousand Sails constellation. Reports suggest as many as 900 pieces of debris were scattered as a result of the disintegration.

US Space Command said at least 300 pieces are large enough to be tracked, each being 10cm (4 inches) or more across, though added it has observed no "immediate threats."

China hopes to put as many as 15,000 broadband-relaying sats into orbit in that Qianfan constellation.

Writing last week, US PIRG directed its concern at SpaceX, dubbing Elon Musk's rocket show "WasteX" for the "mega-constellations" of communications satellites shot into the sky by the Texas-based firm's Starlink subsidiary.

"Over just five years Starlink has launched more than 6,000 units and now make up more than 60 percent of all satellites," said Lucas Gutterman, director of the US PIRG Education Fund's Designed to Last project, in an online article.

"The new space race took off faster than governments were able to act." ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-15 12:51 AM

A Florida family is suing NASA after a piece of space debris crashed through their home (June 2024)
www.npr.org

... A Florida family is suing NASA after a piece of metallic space debris belonging to the agency fell to Earth and tore through their Naples home earlier this year, leaving a hole in the roof. ...

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-15 12:53 AM

---- ELON MUSK

#3 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2024-08-16 02:44 PM

"We need Beautiful SPACE RAKES!" - Trump

#4 | Posted by YAV at 2024-08-16 03:18 PM

Take a look at Flight Trader a see how many planes are in the sky at any given moment. Another fact: there are approximately 100,000 commercial flights a day. Lets take an average satellite altitude of 1000km, we are looking at something like million times more navigable space (I made that up as I don't know how to calculate that) then what commercial and military flights use. I'm not worried.

#5 | Posted by crisisstills1 at 2024-08-18 05:45 AM

Newer companies are looking at more advanced sats that don't need clusters of thousands to do the job. AST spacemobile is looking at 60 or less for continuous 5G coverage over the US, Starlink needs 1300 for the same coverage.

To paraphrase Homer Simpson: Technology the cause of, and solution to, all life's problems

#6 | Posted by TaoWarrior at 2024-08-18 09:31 AM

Take a look at Flight Trader...
#5 | Posted by crisisstills1

That week or so after 9/11 when all flights were grounded, you could feel the silence.

#7 | Posted by TFDNihilist at 2024-08-18 10:05 AM

"The new space race took off faster than governments were able to act." ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-08-15 12:51 AM | Reply | Flag:

Govt chose not to react, and their agencies instead approved every flight.

Without those we can pump the value of SpaceX to infinity.

#8 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-08-18 10:14 AM

I made that up as I don't know how to calculate that

The area of a sphere is 4*pi*r^2.

Area changes with respect to r by 8*pi*r, so area increases by a factor of 8 with every unit increase in altitude.

Assuming a spherical Earth, which is not true, but close enough for the DR.

#9 | Posted by horstngraben at 2024-08-18 01:06 PM

Using the supplied equation:
Earth's radius = 3,959 miles.
Surface area is ~198,000,000 square miles at 37,000 ft (7 miles) an "average" of commercial aircraft flights.
(4*pi*(3959+7)^2)
LEO is 100-200 miles. For simplicity, let's just use 150.
Surface are would be ~212,000,000 square miles.
(4*pi*(3959+150)^2)
For 100, 200 miles above earth's surface; 207,000,000 to 217,000,000 square miles, respectively.

:-)

#10 | Posted by YAV at 2024-08-18 02:11 PM

We've done a good job at avoiding the Kessler effect, so far.

Partially because the probability of collisions between objects ranging from the size of a rubix cube to the ISS, is so low in such a large space. Also because we can steer these satellites up and down to miss other satellites and debree, and lower them into the atmosphere for decommissioning.

If it does go to hell, it will result in narrow bands of altitude with debree spread out over a large area, which we'll be able to navigate through but maybe not use. I doubt anything like that. If it does happen, it will be the sloppy work of the Russians.

But, yeah, garbage accumulates. We'll need a Mega Maid eventually.

#11 | Posted by horstngraben at 2024-08-18 02:46 PM

try.SpaceAGlow.com - first cleaning $19 Billion.

#12 | Posted by YAV at 2024-08-18 02:52 PM

(and NO. I do not recommend the company that was a play on!)

#13 | Posted by YAV at 2024-08-18 02:53 PM

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