(Replying to PARENT post)
To be honest, this seems quite reasonable. Space is obviously a unique environment, but to use an imperfect analogy: we don't let cars that break down just sit in the middle of the road, and we don't let dilapidated buildings sit unattended until they collapse.
There's an externality to leaving a EOL'd satellite in LEO, now these new rules require that externality be priced in. Either through the cost of reserving enough propellant for a de-orbit burn, or perhaps, one day, for more expensive satellites, a new industry could emerge for refueling/boosting/servicing to extend the sat's life.
This regulation seems like a good sign that the commercial space industry is starting to mature in a healthy way.
👤Me1000🕑3y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
If rules didn't cause inconvenience to someone, they wouldn't have to be written.
👤pessimizer🕑3y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
How does this FFC rule work in an international market?
I assume it applies for US companies with US based launches.
Does it apply to US satellite companies with ex-US launches?
Are US companies free to purchase service/bandwidth from ex-US launched satellites which are not compliant?
👤s1artibartfast🕑3y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
> De-orbiting faster means reserving more propellant for the final de-orbit burn.
One new technology is releasing a sail to increase drag.
Example: http://www.parabolicarc.com/2021/08/23/millennium-space-syst...
👤wumpus🕑3y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
I'm no rocket scientist, but could there be a service which knocks satellites out of orbit for people? I wonder how cost effective such a service could get. Could one mission knock 10 satellites out of orbit?
👤teawrecks🕑3y🔼0🗨️0
(Replying to PARENT post)
De-orbiting faster means reserving more propellant for the final de-orbit burn. Since the lifespan of satellites is already generally determined by how much propellant they have, this new rule effectively reduces the lifespan of any satellite high enough to require a de-orbit burn.
Companies that use very low satellites are impacted less, since atmospheric drag does more of the work.