Posted: Apr 18, 2017 6:06 pm
B.B.C. Article
The operators of proposed satellite mega-constellations can greatly mitigate the risk of future collisions by rapidly de-orbiting their spacecraft at the end of service.
On the other hand, doing only the bare minimum required by international "clean space" guidelines could significantly endanger the environment.
This is the take-home from a new study led from Southampton University, UK.
It urges operators to dispose of old satellites within five years.
At the moment, best practice just calls for redundant hardware to come out of the sky within 25 years.
There is increasing concern about the growth in space debris, or junk.
Sixty years of orbital activity have littered the sky with millions of objects, ranging in size from flecks of paint to old rocket stages. These now pose a threat to current and future missions, particularly as the skies are set to get even busier.
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