←back to thread

Space Debris: Is It a Crisis?

(www.esa.int)
61 points defrost | 2 comments | 03 Apr 25 10:35 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
Show context
pandemic_region ◴[03 Apr 25 11:46 UTC] No.43568229[source]▶
Is this problem solvable by something similar to https://theoceancleanup.com/ ? The search space is much larger, granted, but once you figure out a way to efficiently spot a piece of debris, you could use a <insert name of magical device here> to bump the debris towards outer space?
replies(5): >>43568280 #>>43568348 #>>43568802 #>>43569268 #>>43574955 #
1. threeseed ◴[03 Apr 25 11:57 UTC] No.43568348[source]▶
The problem is solvable by stopping people like Musk from putting 42,000 satellites in space.

Especially when the problem he is solving i.e. global access to internet is already solved just not to the level we would want it.

So as a society we have to ask what is more important: watching Netflix on a yacht or having the ability to someday explore the universe.

replies(1): >>43569978 #
2. bryanlarsen ◴[03 Apr 25 14:12 UTC] No.43569978[source]▶
Or we could just make a rule that all large constellations have to be put into an orbit under 500 miles where Kessler isn't really an issue and we could have our cake and eat it too.