This is what the start of Kessler syndrome looks like, only in orbit so it's invisible.
Imagine a cloud of debris like this orbiting for years or decades, smashing into other satellites making their own debris clouds.
The progress SpaceX has made is great, but the downside is Elon is reckless and so this is what we're headed for. Hopefully when it happens (not if) it'll only be in low orbit where it'll resolve itself in a half dozen years or so and then everybody will work together to prevent it happening again.
You're drawing false conclusions from an outsider's uninformed position - the answer is actually "Yes." Two of the purposes of the ion drive on Starlink satellites are to perform evasive maneuvers and to deorbit the satellite when it is retired.
This is what the start of Kessler syndrome looks like, only in orbit so it's invisible.
Imagine a cloud of debris like this orbiting for years or decades, smashing into other satellites making their own debris clouds.
The progress SpaceX has made is great, but the downside is Elon is reckless and so this is what we're headed for. Hopefully when it happens (not if) it'll only be in low orbit where it'll resolve itself in a half dozen years or so and then everybody will work together to prevent it happening again.
Not at the orbital altitudes they're testing at, any debris even in orbit would come down rapidly due to the traces of the atmosphere creating drag.
In this case the spacecraft was still well below orbital altitude.
Hence
I was asking a Space X fanboy the other day whether Elon & co were doing any brainstorming re: the accumulation of space junk and its consequences.
I got a very roundabout "No"
You're drawing false conclusions from an outsider's uninformed position - the answer is actually "Yes." Two of the purposes of the ion drive on Starlink satellites are to perform evasive maneuvers and to deorbit the satellite when it is retired.