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Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Systems Like Starlink Cause Environmental Harm Regulators Didnā€™t Prepare For

Last June scientists warned that low-Earth orbit ( #LEO ) satellites constantly burning up in orbit could release chemicals that could undermine the progress weā€™ve made repairing the #ozone #layer.

Researchers at USC noted that at peak, 1,005 U.S. tons of aluminum will fall to Earth,
releasing ā™¦ļø397 U.S. tons of aluminum oxides ā™¦ļøper year to the atmosphere, an
šŸ’„increase of 646% over natural levels. šŸ’„

Numerous companies, most notably Elon Muskā€™s #Starlink and Jeff Bezosā€™ #Blue #Origin,
are working on launching tens of thousands of small LEO satellites in the coming years.

A new report by U.S. PIRG adds to concerns that these launches havenā€™t been thought through environmentally,
noting that the disposable nature of such satellites means ā™¦ļø29 tons of satellites ā™¦ļøwill re-enter our atmosphere every day at peak.

After years of delays, the FCC did recently release rules requiring that satellites be removed from orbit within five years to help minimize ā€œspace junk.ā€

But the organization notes that very little if any thought was given by innovation-cowed regulators toward the šŸ”øenvironmental impact of so many smaller satellites constantly burning up in orbit:šŸ”ø

ā€œWe shouldnā€™t rush into deploying an untested and under-researched technology into new environments without comprehensive review.

Over just five years Starlink has launched more than 6,000 units and now make up more than 60% of all satellites.

The new space race took off faster than governments were able to act.ā€

The steady launches are also a notable pollution concern, the report notes,
releasing ā™¦ļøā€œsoot in the atmosphere equivalent to 7 million diesel dump trucks circling the globe, each year.ā€

#SpaceX has consistently played fast and loose with #environmental #regulations,
with regulators even in lax Texas starting to give the company grief for releasing significant #pollutants into nearby bodies of water.

techdirt.com/2024/08/16/reportā€¦


Report: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Systems Like Starlink Cause Environmental Harm Regulators Didnā€™t Prepare For

Last June scientists warned that low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites constantly burning up in orbit could release chemicals that couldĀ undermine the progress weā€™ve made repairing the ozone layer. Reseā€¦
Techdirt
#regulations #spacex #environmental #blue #leo #ozone #Layer #Starlink #origin #pollutants

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