this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2026
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[–] prodigalsorcerer@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 hour ago (2 children)

The debris will be microscopic. It won't "land" anywhere noticeable.

The fine particulate matter may not be great for the ozone layer, but it's actually pretty negligible compared to all of the other pollution that we're not addressing either. That doesn't justify the pollution, but hopefully it helps contextualize it.

[–] gnate@lemmy.world 1 points 44 minutes ago

Per the article, sometimes they burn up, sometimes they don't.

The big culprit I was remembering isn't Starlink, but SpaceX, with the debris being potentially lethal (over 6 feet, too heavy for one person to move.)

From the same professor: https://wlos.com/news/local/professor-spacexs-lack-of-accountability-for-space-debris-frustrating-nasa-samantha-lawlwer-university-of-regina-saskatchewan-canada

Musk's companies are notorious for lack of responsibility. At least Cards Against Humanity held they're get to the fire for a minute.

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 2 points 1 hour ago

I ran into this dramatization for media hits before, with the complaint about rocket launches and their contribution to pollution. People were all about getting out the pitchforks, especially since it was mainly about Elon Musk, but when the actual numbers were mentioned (very small), suddenly, I was the bad guy. No one likes real facts.

Now, should we be launching so many things that are designed to fall back down so soon? Probably not, that's the mark of a disposable society in high gear. But how we're doing things, and why, should be the focus, not a headline that makes it sound like things are falling out of the sky to hit people.