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Analysis: Why trash in space is a major problem with no clear fix (www.pbs.org)

submitted 1 year ago by Five@slrpnk.net to c/space@beehaw.org

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[–] CatWhoMustNotBeNamed@geddit.social 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Starlink satellites deorbit on their own. What else is SpaceX leaving in orbit? (Serious question, maybe there are small components the launch systems lose?)

[–] zhunk@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You can filter here to show the SpaceX group, which is a whole bunch of Falcon 2nd stages. It isn't like anyone else puts effort in to deorbiting their 2nd stages, SpaceX just launches the most.

https://sky.rogue.space/

They also dump Dragon 2 trunks and used to dump some Starlink deployment hardware (which I think is now attached to the 2nd stages), but those two examples are in such low orbit that they don't last long.

[–] CatWhoMustNotBeNamed@geddit.social 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks for doing the leg work, I wasn't sure where to start and figured I'd end up down a rabbit hole...too easily distracted!