Space debris expert: Orbits will be lost—and people will die—later this decade

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From Ars Technica:
"Up until about a decade ago, an average of 80 to 100 satellites per year were launched into varying orbits. Some reentered Earth's atmosphere quickly, while others will remain in orbit for decades.

This now seems quaint. In the last five years, driven largely by the rise of communications networks such as SpaceX's Starlink and a proliferation of small satellites, the number of objects launched into space has increased dramatically."

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12 ... is-decade/

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[KathyNS]

The interviewer says: " In the United States, right now, much of the regulation of satellite activity is conducted by the Federal Communications Commission." My understanding is that the FCC only regulates communication frequencies. The FAA regulates airspace restrictions for launches. But there is no regulation of launches or orbits.

Anyone can launch anything they want into any orbit they want, and as long as they do not punch through controlled airspace on launch or try to communicate with a ground station, no one cares. That needs to stop.

[Frankskywatcher]

Thank you for posting this article it was a very interesting read !
I had posted a link in the section astronomy website about this very subject and the website that talks about it in detail https://starwalk.space/en/news/space-junk

[GCoyote]

Perhaps there is hope after all.
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Space Sail Experiment Showcases Promising Technique for Quickly Disposing Space Junk

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https://gizmodo.com/space-sail-experime ... 1850053088

[pakarinen]

"And I also predict that we will see a loss of human life by (1) school-bus sized objects reentering and surviving reentry and hitting a populated area..."

“Weeeell, doggies!” as Jed would say.

[jrkirkham]

I remember watching an interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson when he was asked his opinion of President Trump's Space Force. He mentioned that it might be a good thing because we are going to have to find a way to clean up space and deal with the trash that is floating around up there.