<
https://theconversation.com/a-new-space-race-could-turn-our-atmosphere-into-a-crematorium-for-satellites-276366>
"When we look up at the night sky and see a satellite glide past, we might not
consider climate change or the ozone layer.
Space may feel separate from the environmental systems that sustain life on
Earth. But increasingly, the way we build, launch and dispose of satellites is
starting to change that.
Over the past few years, the number of satellite launches has skyrocketed.
There are now nearly 15,000 active satellites in orbit around the Earth, most
of them part of “mega-constellations” in which each satellite has a service
life of only a few years.
New satellites must be quickly launched as replacements. To avoid leaving old,
dead satellites in Earth’s already-crowded low orbits, most satellite operators
deliberately de-orbit them into Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Here, they burn up or break apart into smaller pieces: a process known as
“demisability”. In effect, satellites have become part of throwaway culture.
That approach is now being taken to a vastly larger scale. We are concerned
about the implications for Earth’s climate and atmosphere."
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
