Satellites have become 'an unprecedented global threat to nature'

 

Space Debris & Satellites.

March 27, 2023

Plastic pollution, global warming, nuclear winter. Many threats already hang over our world. According to scientists, we must now add one. "An unprecedented global threat to nature" carried by an unexpected enemy.

Will light pollution extinguish the stars? In just a few decades, artificial light has become a cause of pollution. It not only threatens to extinguish our stars. But it also has a significant impact on biodiversity. Especially since it could soon come exclusively from the mainland...

Distribution of space debris around Earth

At the time of writing these few lines, nearly 10,000 satellites are in orbit around our Earth. Their number could be multiplied by no less than six by 2030. The European Space Agency (ESA) already estimates at more than 130 million the number of pieces of debris floating less than 2,000 kilometers above our planet today. So many objects that now pollute our skies in a worrying way, researchers warn us in a series of articles published in the journal Nature.

The researchers estimate, for example, that by 2030, the light pollution generated by all these satellites - and these pieces of satellites - will reduce the number of stars accessible to the large Vera Rubin observatory - although built in the part of the world's darkest sky — by 7.5% — driving up its cost by nearly $22 million. Which lets you imagine how much our skies will be impacted. "It is one of the common heritages of humanity, that which links it to science, to art, to the history of its origins, which is now in danger", declare the astronomers.

Exposing the madness of the "merchants of light"

Especially since the pollution created by the satellites will affect the entire planet. Contrary to the light pollution coming from the ground which leaves the hope of keeping some regions of the world plunged into darkness. The researchers warn that they could thus miss the detection of objects such as comets or near-Earth asteroids, potentially dangerous for our civilizations.

It should be remembered that, in the middle of the night, artificial light does indeed correspond to an anthropogenic pollutant as defined by the United Nations (UNO). Researchers today no longer hesitate to compare "merchants of light" to the oil, sugar or tobacco industry. Merchants ready to do anything to sell more and more. Including lighting up our nights in defiance of our health and that of our environment. The problem, according to them, is the same for the space industry.

Striped sky - The Starlink Situation - Sky & Telescope

“We were naïve to believe that the booming space economy would limit itself. Today, we can no longer rule out the idea of banning satellite megaconstellations. Because if it is not stopped, this madness will get worse and worse,” the scientists conclude.

Editor's Notes (one could even say advocacy):

The problem has existed for years with satellites and debris in orbit, but the business continues under the pretext that space does not belong to anyone, like international waters at sea. Yet, even if space companies know it, nothing's-stop the race for profit and everyone wants their share of the economic "cake" and again without worrying about tomorrow, when it will be too late and everyone will be the loser, even those who have pocketed the profits in case of syndrome of Kessler (complete pulverization of all objects in orbit by chain reaction, rendering Earth orbits unusable and impractical).

And there it will be the end of access to space, the end of the low-orbit economy.

GRAVITY - Space debris hits Explorer

And this for years, we will be deaf and blind, no more internet, no more satellite phones, no more weather forecasts, no more observing the sky etc... We will return to the technological era of the 1950s.

Not to mention all this debris that will return to Earth in a totally uncontrolled and unpredictable way. At night it will be spectacular but dangerous. Even slowed down by the atmosphere, some of this debris of all sizes will arrive from the sky at over 500 m/s, the speed of a rifle bullet.

And of the nine victims in space, six in ISS and three in CSS, and the countless victims on the ground.

GRAVITY - Ending Scene

The solutions are simple, put aside the interests of some for the good of all, moratorium on commercial launches until the space has been cleaned up, this will be the most difficult part, convincing megalomaniacs obsessed with their own interests (countries or industrialists and contractors). And during the resumption of launches, all parts of the launchers must return to Earth with controlled re-entries, the satellites must be able to be de-orbited in time at the end of their operational life. Stop using polluting materials and fuels. During this moratorium period, this will give manufacturers the opportunity to review their technological concepts and practices.

Related articles:

Mysterious lights cross the Swiss sky
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/04/mysterious-lights-cross-swiss-sky.html

Panic wind among astronomers
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/05/panic-wind-among-astronomers.html

Related links:

Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01864-z

IDA - International Dark-Sky Association: https://www.darksky.org/

Images, Animation, Videos, Text, Credits: Futura Science/ESA/Sky & Telescope/Tom Sparrow/Warner Bros. Pictures/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch