https://www.space.com/space-junk-removal-is-not-going-smoothly
"A Space Age "tragedy of the commons" is unfolding right under our nose — or,
really, right over our head — and no consensus yet exists on how to stop it.
For more than a half-century, humans have been hurling objects into low Earth
orbit in ever growing numbers. And with few meaningful limitations on further
launches into that increasingly congested realm, the prevailing attitude has
been persistently permissive: in orbit, it seems, there is always room for one
more.
After so many decades of the buildup of high-speed clutter in the form of spent
rocket stages, stray bolts and paint chips, solid-rocket-motor slag, dead or
dying satellites and the scattered fragments from antisatellite tests — all of
which could individually damage or destroy other assets — low Earth orbit is
finally on the verge of becoming too crowded for comfort. And the problem is
now poised to get much worse because of the rise of satellite
"megaconstellations" requiring thousands of spacecraft, such as SpaceX's
Starlink, a broadband Internet network. Starlink is but one of many similar
projects: Another megaconstellation from a company called OneWeb is already
being deployed. And Amazon's Project Kuiper is seeking to create a
megaconstellation of up to 3,200 satellites in the near future."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
