this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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[–] MalReynolds 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Don't worry, greed ensures that Kessler Syndrome will get them in the not too distant future. Sure hope you aren't reliant on GPS or other satellite services, but at least, for a shining moment, shareholders got some value. /s

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago (5 children)

Starlink is a very low orbit. Even if something like that happened, it would clean itself up in like five years

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The satellites are constantly giving themselves small boosts to maintain orbit and then are deorbited in 5 years when they run out of fuel. It should be well less than 5 years to resolve a LEO Kessler type situation from starlink.

[–] Saledovil@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

When 2 satellites collide, the pieces don't all stay on the same altitude. Even though none of them will be in a stable orbit, all it takes is for one piece to smack into a satellite that's a bit higher up before it de-orbits, and boom, now you've got a debris field that won't de-orbit.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Pieces don’t gain kinetic energy in a collision. Even if they collide and get sent off in an “upwards” direction, it’s not up very far relative to the orbit, and that’s just a less circular orbit at lower speed that will burn up even faster

For you scenario to work, there would have to be a chain reaction

  • collision, sending a few pieces upwards
  • during that small number of orbits they survive, collision, sending a few pieces upward
  • repeat many times

Each chance is remote enough, and ricocheting pieces only go so far, and any higher satellites they could reach are also low orbit, that I can’t imagine how remote the chances of this happening are

Kessler syndrome is a real worry, but not in this low orbit

[–] MalReynolds 2 points 2 months ago

Not wrong, and yet small parts of that 'orbit' would kinetically increase, in a Kessler sort of way...

[–] MalReynolds 1 points 2 months ago

Sorry, you're probably right. It's a thing I expect to be problematic if the future. Of course all problems will burn up in the atmosphere...

[–] MalReynolds 0 points 2 months ago

and isn't that a nice thought, but no, it raises orbit fairly naturaly...

[–] warm@kbin.earth 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

GPS/GLONASS/Galileo are at ~20,000km vs starlinks ~500km, all the LEO satellites would be fucked but global positioning would be fine. Sounds good to me.

[–] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Wouldn't interference from all the junk in between be at least somewhat of a problem, particularly given that the average GPS receiver already isn't super sensitive nor accurate?

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Unlikely. There would be very little, if any, interference with signals unless they were extremely precise. The issue is physical stuff getting destroyed by debris.

Think of a very light sprinkling of rain, but imagine if every raindrop was solid and moving faster than a bullet. Walking out in it would be deadly, but likely wouldn't affect your cell phone service. Well, besides the tower itself and every structure in the area getting absolutely shredded.

[–] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 2 points 2 months ago

Yeah, I suppose I'm over-estimating the density/amount.

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago

GPS works under tree cover, I doubt some spread out space junk is much of a problem.

[–] MalReynolds 1 points 2 months ago

Yup, but scatter might be bad...Still, in principle, better satellites live...