“So several times a year we’re taking these potshots at people on the Earth and fortunately so far missing. So far we’ve been very lucky, but it won’t last.”
Deorbiting Starlink satellites may not pose a risk to people, but Dr McDowell said they may still prove problematic.
Scientists are still trying to understand what impact this rate of deorbits might have on the Earth’s atmosphere.
I’m supposed to believe they entirely burn up on re-entry? Based upon Starlink’s word? Ok. Sure.
No, but given there are aproximately 6000 impacts a year from rocks of various sizes making it all the way to the ground a handful of extra impacts isnt going to make any significant difference. Maybe your chance of being hit by space debris in your lifetime rises from one in a billion to 1.1 in a billion.