Prediction is at least 1 person killed every 2 years

  • daisy@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    At the risk of being the well-aktually guy, Starlink satellites (along with all other similar recent-design LEO commsats launched from the US) are required by the FCC to be designed in such a way that they burn up completely on re-entry. This claim by the FAA is based on a decades-old study involving the Iridium satellite family, which use an older-type satellite bus design that was not designed to cleanly burn up on re-entry. The Iridium satellites are also much bigger and heavier than Starlink satellites.

    • Mardoniush [she/her]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      You’re absolutely correct. But also consider the capability for Elon Musk to fuck it up by trying to solve the problem in a “disruptive” way. “Oh we reduced launch weight by building the bus out of high temperature carbon composite.”