Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> would surely also mean their expected lifespan is shorter too?

Are Starlinks being deörbited due to propellant exhaustion?

In many respects, Starlink satellites are small servers. They’re probably profitable to replace quicker than decay would force them to be.





But you don't pay for space or power - so the normal business incentives to retire old hardware don't really apply.

We are nowhere close to the sky being 'full'.


> you don't pay for space or power

These birds aren’t totally autonomous. They do take up “space” in a limited sense. And having your fleet be somewhat similar lets one execute maneuvers like this global plane change more efficiently.


Depends on how many satellites there are and how much closer they orbit.



Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: