• NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Starlink will never be orbital trash in any meaningful way. If everything failed today, they’d all deorbit within 5 years. It’s only in higher orbits where shit gets stuck for decades or hundreds of years.

    • Peppycito@sh.itjust.works
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      4 months ago

      Starlink will never be orbital trash in any meaningful way

      You’re right. They’ll be atmospheric pollution. That’s what “burn up on reentry” means.

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Well in that case, 100% of things that we’ve launched into space are either

        1: Space trash

        2: Atmospheric Trash

        3: Ocean Trash

        Except for the 1st stages of F9 and it’s fairings, and one or two first stages of some other small start ups.

        Edit: sorry and the shuttle. In retrospect with the amount of refurbishment it required it wasn’t really “reusable” per say, but it did avoid being ocean trash.

        • xthexder@l.sw0.com
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          4 months ago

          That does seem to be the point this thread is making: Going to space is really bad for Earth’s environment. SpaceX and starlink are just accelerating that.