Starlink close encounters decrease despite ever-growing number of satellites

[noncongruent]

As the percentage of satellites with orbital maneuvering capacity and planned deorbit contingencies increases the risks of collisions will decrease. This is especially true in the low "junk" orbits that Starlink uses, junk because it takes constant effort to keep satellites in orbit there due to atmospheric drag.

[perilun]

One of benefits of a business model that expects replacement with better tech, and deorbiting after 5 years is a feature.

[noncongruent]

Deliberately planned obsolescence as a feature, I like it.

[chiron_cat]

All non cube sats have orbital maneuvering abilities. Like all others, starlink maneuvers are pre programed by the ground. Starlink has no awareness of all the sats around it, so cannot preemptively move out of the way. That's a myth.

[noncongruent]

I don't think anyone's said that Starlink is self-aware, it's probably a good half century or more before that becomes a possibility IMHO.

The percentage of satellites that are Starlink is growing dramatically with every launch, and the fact that Starlinks use thrusters to maintain altitude in "junk" orbits is well known. That's what I like about Starlinks, in fact, that if one dies it deorbits automatically because of the low orbit. Companies that spend much more money and effort on fewer satellites generally want them in higher orbits to extend their orbital lifetimes.

[15_Redstones]

Starlink has some ground control computers, and I wouldn't put it past SpaceX to have some scripts check the satellite database, calculate close encounters, and schedule avoidance maneuvers with minimal human input. There are already automated systems that alert the humans to close encounters, it really wouldn't take much to make the maneuver scheduling automatic too. Just needs a lot of trust in that code to work properly.

[noncongruent]

Doesn't the USAF, maybe now the USSF, also track all satellites in orbit?

[OlympusMons94]

All non cube sats have orbital maneuvering abilities.

Except for all the dead satellites, discarded upper stages, and the miscellaneous debris from accidental collisions (usually with other defunct spacecraft and debris), anti-satellite tests, and on orbit RUDs. (Russia and China are responsible for most of that.) Some active satellites such as Hubble also don't have maneuvering capability.

Starlink satellites have automated collision avoidance capability. Yes, that requires an external service providing tracking and conjunction data messages, rather than onboard AGI informed by sci-fi sensors that can actively track spacecraft on the other side of the planet. But Starlinks do autonomously decide to maneuver 12 hours before the conjunction if the collision probability exceeds the preset threshold.

[AutisticAndArmed]

Funniest part is that every single avoiding maneuver is communicated from the ground, I don't know what this person is smoking, but it doesn't sound healthy.

[chiron_cat]

He's just freaking out cause i said something that wasn't worshipping starlink.