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anonymous_sorry 4 hours ago

It looks like low earth orbit is a limited resource. Is it?

If so, do Starlink and others pay rent? Should they (to ensure efficient use of the resource)?

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HotGarbage 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

LEO will be worthless soon enough.

https://outerspaceinstitute.ca/crashclock/

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wat10000 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Technically it is a limited resource, since there is only a finite volume. But we're nowhere near close to any notion of it being "full." Efficient rent would be approximately zero.

	▲	wolvoleo 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Full no it's far from that but because these things are going criss cross with kinetic energy it's like a cross fire. The bullets don't occupy a significant amount of space but you won't find anyone happy to walk through it.

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hagbard_c 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

To whom would they pay 'rent'? What would be done with the money?

Don't go there, it leads to nothing but more waste, abuse and corruption. If it becomes necessary there can be some form of arbitrage in how LEO is used, we're not there yet though. Maybe something like the auctions for bandwidth for mobile operators but again, where does the money go? If institutionalised it will just turn into another slush fund for whatever interests, many of them corrupt or nonsensical, to drain.

	▲	lxgr 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> like the auctions for bandwidth for mobile operators but again, where does the money go? Doesn't matter. The entire point is price discovery and fair allocation. Once the resource has initially been allocated, you can allow resales, but without an auction, how would you determine the initial price?