M. EllaNov 25, 2024
Mark Hurst

Elon Musk's space junk is a threat to us all. Starlink satellites will pollute the atmosphere, land in your backyard, and - a fresh new nightmare - could hit airliners at 35,000 feet.

My post explains:
https://buttondown.com/creativegood/archive/musks-space-junk-is-a-threat-to-us-all/

Thanks to @sundogplanets for raising the alarm. (Re-upping to get the proper thumbnail on the post.)

Musk's space junk is a threat to us all

Pieces of space junk are falling to earth on a regular basis. On Techtonic this week I spoke with astronomer Samantha Lawler, who has been raising the alarm...

Creative Good
Nov 25, 2024 at 4:52pmWeb
Show threadBeggar MidasNov 25, 2024
@markhurst @sundogplanets You think that's bad. How you think some of those things will look to anyone on high alert for any ICBMs making re-entry?
Show threadRoger MooreNov 25, 2024
@Beggarmidas @markhurst @sundogplanets
Nobody is going to confuse them with an ICBM, because they can track ICBMs from launch. Of course this general kind of thing could be used to disguise a sneak nuclear attack. Just make something that looks a lot like a Starlink satellite but has a nuke onboard. It sits up there innocently for months or years, but can be activated when the creator wants a decapitation strike.
Show threadLuna chanNov 25, 2024
@Beggarmidas Doesn't come in at high arc like an ICBM.
Show threadZ̈oéNov 26, 2024
@Beggarmidas @markhurst @sundogplanets very different; ICBMs are *ballistic*, satellites are orbital
Show threadBeggar MidasNov 26, 2024
@uint8_t @markhurst @sundogplanets True. But re-entry can look very similar depending on how modern someone's radar instillations are. I was specifically referencing NK/DPRK. It was a known issue during the cold war.
Show threadBeggar MidasNov 26, 2024
@uint8_t @markhurst @sundogplanets Heck, there was an incident back in 1996 when a Norwegian rocket launch & re-entry almost triggered Russia into a nuclear response. So this isn't a hypothetical circumstance. There's been other incidents in the past. This isn't some crank proposition. So recalculate after reviewing known incidents. Especially with the way starlink uses multiple units those could easily be mistaken for a pre-emptive salvo by anyone feeling especially nervous & paranoid.
Show threadMrBadAxeNov 25, 2024

@markhurst @sundogplanets

"could hit airliners at 35,000 feet"

How karmic would it be if Elon's space detritus hit his own private jet

Show threadLuna chanNov 25, 2024
@mrbadaxe Or Trump's.
Show threadElon Muksis 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇪🇺Nov 25, 2024

@markhurst @sundogplanets Starlink also destroys ozone layer.

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-internet-b2567423.html

Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites could damage the environment for decades, study says

Mega satellite constellations produce destructive gases when they burn up in atmosphere at end of service lives

The Independent
Show threadLuna chanNov 25, 2024
@bhasic I wish that was studied more so we know how much is too much.
Show threadEnoughNov 25, 2024
@markhurst After all, this is our society: technologically addicted. That is why we do not respond adequately to anything threatening our survival.
Show threaddavidtbNov 25, 2024
@markhurst @sundogplanets
If space poop falls from the sky
from the richest man in the world.
I think I'm in for a payday.
Show threadAndrew LeaheyNov 25, 2024

@markhurst @sundogplanets

Tax the space billionaires.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewleahey/2024/04/22/do-we-need-a-property-tax-for-space/

Do We Need A Property Tax For Space?

Considering a proposal for a property tax-like policy for the deployment of near-Earth satellites.

Forbes
Show threadLuna chanNov 25, 2024
@markhurst I hope none have hydrazine tanks as those have a tendency to surive reentry as it seems COPV materials act like an ablative heat sheild.
Show threadStabzy RehabNov 26, 2024
@markhurst @sundogplanets Didn't Hugo Drax try a similar thing!
Show threadJohnnieMacNov 27, 2024
@markhurst @sundogplanets don’t worry. I’m sure he had to put up a reclamation bond to take care of any problems and eventual cleanup,right…