Starlink satellites are making thousands of avoidance maneuvers as low Earth orbit becomes more crowded, feeding worries that a catastrophic impact is inevitable. SpaceX’s orbital communication satellites performed maneuvers just over 25,000 times in the six-month period between December 1, 2022, and May 21, 2023, the company told the Federal Communications Commission in a recent […]
Yes, other space debris.
And gravity.
Atmosphere. Gravity just helps smash them against it.
Even without an atmosphere, gravity would pull the debris to crash into the planet itself.