Nature article: Satellite mega-constellations create risks in Low Earth Orbit, the atmosphere and on Earth

[Chich]

The paper looks at the current situation with LEOs and talks about possible consequences. I don't think any fearmongering was intended but there are implications to think about.

We all know the impact 42 000 satellites proposed for Starlink will have on optical and radio astronomy but I was not aware of how much aluminum will be deposited in the upper atmosphere on re-entries. One possible outcome is increasing the planet's albedo, a project which has been proposed and rejected but seems we will be doing anyway. To what degree remains to be seen.

It is also a concern that the Kessler Syndrome becomes a reality. Cascading collisions that render the orbits increasingly unusable.

It is disheartening to learn that in many ways it is the wild west. There are few international agreements or regulations. National rather than international agencies are giving the approvals for projects.


https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598- ... p738k3GFxM

[SkyHiker]

That's a great article, I bookmarked it. If a single US company wants to launch 42K satellites then globally, after time, we can expect up to a million or so. Something's got to give.

[Starship201]

I also worry about the growing number of satellites in LEO, so do many astrophotographers and aerospace engineers. But at the same time, I understand that there's no way to live without satellites. So, I have a question. What about using satellites that can perform several missions simultaneously. I mean, we can equip satellites with different instruments and reduce the number of sats we launch each year. Why can't we equip a communication satellite, for instance, with an imager to perform an environmental mission or something like that? Modern advanced satellite imagers are compact but powerful. Dragonfly Aerospace https://dragonflyaerospace.com/ is not the most famous imagery manufacturer, but it deserves our attention. I heard about this company on one of the space forums and quickly got interested in them. So, I have an idea. What if this company cooperates with SpaceX, OneWeb, EnduroSat, or any other satellite manufacturer and creates a brand new satellite?

[notFritzArgelander]

I also worry about the growing number of satellites in LEO, so do many astrophotographers and aerospace engineers. But at the same time, I understand that there's no way to live without satellites. So, I have a question. What about using satellites that can perform several missions simultaneously. I mean, we can equip satellites with different instruments and reduce the number of sats we launch each year. Why can't we equip a communication satellite, for instance, with an imager to perform an environmental mission or something like that? Modern advanced satellite imagers are compact but powerful. Dragonfly Aerospace https://dragonflyaerospace.com/ is not the most famous imagery manufacturer, but it deserves our attention. I heard about this company on one of the space forums and quickly got interested in them. So, I have an idea. What if this company cooperates with SpaceX, OneWeb, EnduroSat, or any other satellite manufacturer and creates a brand new satellite?

I don't think that will significantly reduce the number of communication satellites. The only way I can see a significant reduction is that LEO communications satellites be operated as a common public utility, like roads, water and sewage. As long as comm satellites are proprietary it's going to be the wild west up there. Can you imagine what the national highways would be like if every company could build a proprietary section and charge tolls?

It makes sense for some utilities to be commons and in support of private enterprises to utilize them. The ancient Sumerians understood this when they had the good sense to operate irrigation as common public utility and in support of private farming for profit. Since we have abandoned Adam Smith's capitalism we are doing crazy experiments in corporatist economics that are not well thought out.

[WilliamPaolini]

Yes, getting congested up there. A lot of it is non-functional and debris also. However, a number of companies are placing "sweeper" satellites in orbit to de-orbit non-functional items and debris. So the problem is recognized and the solutions are being implemented organically instead of by some central management oversight organization it seems. https://www.satellitetoday.com/innovati ... -to-orbit/