Thanks for repeating almost word for word what I told you clowns in post 12. They do not have to hit the ground to cause problems. But some pieces do hit the ground don't they? Especially in the nearly 10% of launches that end up in some type of failure.
Do you Poindexters have any idea the amount of energy contained in an object traveling 1000s of miles an hour that weighs even a few grams let alone 600 lbs. I do because I reload my own ammunition. Two grains of smokeless powder which is 0.00457143 of an ounce or 1/328th as much as a typical candy bar is enough to propel a 90 grain projectile fast enough to kill a horse or cow.
What we are talking about are plans to launch over 42,000 600 pound objects and associated rocket components into “very low earth orbit” with a failure rate of approximately 10%. With the frequent failures that works out to an unprecedented amount of space shrapnel circling the globe in more or less random patterns. That's a lot of unpredictable sh*t which will imperil future objects launched into space, airliners, other satellites and yes on rare occasions even structures and people on the ground. Would you apply the same laissez faire attitude if the Chinese were doing the same thing? Some how I doubt it, yet international precedent is being set.
The pieces don't just drop straight down from the sky there is a high speed horizontal component to their flight path which increases the chances that they will cause damage. But yes, obviously, the biggest hazard is to other objects in space. Since you guys are so good at “Googling”... try “Why is space debris so dangerous”. You might even learn something.
It is cute that you two have blind faith in SpaceX and the possible benefits of a massive amount of “very low earth orbit” and virtually no apparent concern over a situation that is becoming more and more of a problem. My faith in the safety of the products being produced by corporations associated with Elon Musk is not nearly as strong.
