(Belga) Satellites in orbit around the Earth will have to be de-orbited within five years of the end of their mission, compared to 25 years previously, according to a new rule adopted Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the United States. The purpose of this is to prevent the accumulation of debris in space.
The satellites concerned will be those sent into low orbit under license in the United States which evolve up to 2,000 kilometers above the Earth, such as telecommunications satellites, including the constellation of Stalink satellites from the company SpaceX. Thousands of satellites and lots of debris are accumulating around our planet, posing a threat to spacecraft and astronauts in particular. They might thus be dangerous for the crew of the International Space Station (ISS). They also affect astronomers’ images of the night sky. (Belga)
