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ACCount82 t1_j5npctk wrote

Reply to comment by aboy021 in Starlink Is ‘Forced’ To Finally Start Caring About The System’s Light Pollution And Harm To Scientific Research by Albion_Tourgee

Kessler syndrome is incredibly overrated. And those megaconstellations sit in LEO - even the sats that die entirely would deorbit from there and burn up within a decade.

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Angrybagel t1_j5pjpbv wrote

I'm not too worried about starlink given how low it is, but why do you think that in general? Are things like anti satellite missile tests worrying to you?

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ACCount82 t1_j5pngik wrote

The main thing is: active Kessler syndrome prevents you from staying in a select orbit, or a group of orbits, long term.

It's not that much of a danger to passing spaceships - the main hazard is to satellites and space stations. You can still reach Moon or Mars with Kessler syndrome ongoing. And it's avoidable even for stationary objects if you don't need a very specific orbit. This is why GEO, the main "very specific orbit", is so tightly regulated - it's one of the worst orbits to lose to Kessler syndrome.

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Bensemus t1_j5r5eqf wrote

They are definitely way worse than constellations. It however seems countries have stopped doing them.

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