Elon’s junk

A hundred of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, first launched in 2019, are about to meet their fiery demise. SpaceX, Musk’s ambitious brainchild, has assured the world it will be making a necessary sacrifice in the next six months. One affecting its bottom line maybe? No, supposedly one akin to a cleansing ritual for the sake of space sustainability. Oh, how noble of the eccentric billionaire!

But is it mere Elonesque marketing or celestial piety, a smokescreen perhaps to obscure the growing problem of his “junk” permeating our place in the cosmos. Sure, Starlink has brought internet connectivity to the unserved or underserved corners of the globe. It’s a technological marvel, a testament to human ingenuity. Yet, like all innovations, it comes with a shadow.

In this case, it’s a veritable constellation of concerns. The sheer number of Starlink satellites, now over 5,000, with tens of thousands planned, raises the specter of light pollution, blotting out the celestial ballet for astronomers and turning the night sky into a celestial billboard.

Worse, collisions with other satellites and spacecraft become more likely, each one potentially generating a cascade of debris, transforming our cosmic commons into a junkyard. The fact is that each of the Starlink satellites has averaged six autonomous evasive maneuvers in order to prevent just that.

Musk assures us that his satellites that are being sent back to Earth are designed to disintegrate harmlessly as they enter the atmosphere. There’s no reason to doubt his optimism in dispatching 100 of his disposable low earth orbit satellites.

Better junk them now before they make junk of other more notable space endeavors — those that do more than just give earthlings fast internet connection. Here, think of activities that have to do with preparing to deflect or destroy interplanetary asteroids, like the one that was said to have driven dinosaurs to extinction.

There’s that small matter, too, of equity. Although revolutionary, Starlink’s internet remains out of reach for many in the regions it is supposed to serve. The availability, no make that the affordability gap persists, raising issues about whether there are true beneficiaries of this technological leap.

Is the goal really to close the digital divide, or is this just another example of the privileged few looking down on the disconnected masses, with their access made possible by Musk’s satellites?

Musk’s deorbiting of 100 satellites is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the vastness of space.

Beyond token actions, we require more. Transparency, strict regulations, and a dedication to genuine sustainability — which puts the preservation of our common cosmic heritage ahead of profit — are all necessary.

In looking at the future of space exploration itself, the question to ask remains: Is Starlink worth the risks? The answer hangs precariously, as we cannot be blinded by the promise of newfangled technology, for the true cost might be written not in dollars, but in the celestial debris that threatens to choke the very sky we strive to reach.

The sky should not be Musk’s personal billboard. It belongs to us all, and its future deserves more than just empty assurances and calculated deorbiting. The world demands accountability, transparency, and a commitment to a future where innovation doesn’t come at the cost of our cosmic commons.

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sheer number of Starlink satellites, now over 5,000, raises the specter of light pollution and space collisions.