General > General Technical Chat

we need traffic lights for satellites

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rdl:
Starlink satellites are in a fairly regularly spaced network. They are widely spread over a range of inclinations. They are at low enough altitudes that they will naturally de-orbit in a matter of years due to atmospheric drag. Seems like the biggest danger is running into one on the way up to somewhere else.

antenna:
I've been using Starlink internet since January and it has been absolutely amazing. I went from 25kb tether as an only option to downloading several GB in minutes.  I hope people keep their satellites out of Starlink's way, because I really like my internet!  Someone needs to build a satellite with enough maneuver fuel and a big dust pan to fly around and scoop up the trash like dish network, direct tv and hughesnet, the old satcoms used by pirates, broken noaa imaging sats etc and toss it all in the pacific lol. Get rid of the junk, know your altitude, and maybe we wouldn't need traffic lights in space. Stop and go takes thrust. You cannot sustain that kind of solution.

james_s:
The problem with trying to scoop up the junk is that it tends to be moving at thousands of miles per hour with random trajectories and if you do have a collision you end up with a whole bunch more debris flying at high speed in random directions.

madires:
Yep, a single collision event can cause an avalanche, especially when happening in a popular orbit. Another point often ignored is that satellites don't have a precise track they follow. They wobble around and need corrections from time to time. We're talking about a few 100 meters. The next point is about launch windows for rockets. With much more LEO satellites swirling around launches become complex as your rocket needs to avoid whatever is orbiting our planet. It's a 3D space with many objects moving around with different speeds in different orbits.

nuclearcat:
Stupid idea (because i didnt thought a lot about it), what is we deploy one big amount of substance like polyurethane foam that will expand after "cleaner satellite" reach orbit, as it expand, it take large space and work as trap. All objects will be stuck inside it and it wont go pieces, similar what sand and water does to bullets.
Plus attached to the metal mesh net and some kind of engine that can deorbit it, when it gets full or too unstable (too many impacts).

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