@sundogplanets
Congrats on your publication!
"...we need *fewer* satellites, each with *longer* operational lifetimes. Engineers: that's your challenge."
Seems to me that it could also be a #governance challenge. The #Space near #Earth is basically a village green. Putting junk up there willy-nilly could be considered a form of #pollution. We know that pollution CANNOT be controlled by #free_markets.
Just sayin'...
Edit: Above responding to your TLDR. Reading deeper you end with...
"Without far-reaching, international #regulation or self-imposed limits from satellite companies, current practices in LEO threaten the planet, and our ability to explore beyond it."
Agreed!