[AR] Re: Freeman Dyson, RIP

  • From: Henry Spencer <hspencer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Arocket List <arocket@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2020 19:04:52 -0500 (EST)

On Wed, 4 Mar 2020, Uwe Klein wrote:

For example, any scheme with so many objects in similar orbits probably
wants a fast-response capability to *clean up* the debris from an
accidental collision, so it *doesn't* cause a runaway chain reaction.
(NB, in solar orbit, "fast" typically means months, not minutes...

Can we apply this to upcoming SpaceX StarLink constellations ?

Not easily, alas. For one thing, we're starting with a bit less technical capability and rather smaller resources than the hypothetical Dyson-sphere builders. :-) For another, the time scale involved is over 5000x faster, because the orbital period is 90-odd minutes rather than a year -- if they'd have to get tugs and related equipment into position within, say, a month, we'd have less than ten minutes.

Not inherently impossible, I'd say -- with the caveat that working out really fast first-responder propulsion methods is complicated by having to use them in a crowded and pollution-sensitive neighborhood -- but too big a challenge right now. For the immediate future, we have to prevent the problem rather than solving it. (Fortunately, the Starlink orbits are going to be a lot less crowded than Dyson-sphere orbits would be.)

Henry

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