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1. oconno+(OP)[view] [source] 2024-02-01 22:35:54
No, they burn up. You can think of how much work goes into the heat shields on spacecraft that are supposed to survive reentry. Satellites have none of that.
replies(2): >>scottl+g2 >>m4rtin+4k
2. scottl+g2[view] [source] 2024-02-01 22:45:42
>>oconno+(OP)
I also think a screw at terminal velocity might not be particularly dangerous, similar to the popular "will a penny dropped off the empire skyscraper kill you?" question.

...which I suppose is closely related. The deorbiting satellite burns up because all that potential energy goes into heat because of the ~friction~ [edit: compression, thanks for the correction] that limits it to that low terminal velocity.

replies(1): >>iamgop+Pa
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3. iamgop+Pa[view] [source] [discussion] 2024-02-01 23:38:55
>>scottl+g2
Heat is Not because of friction but compression of air
4. m4rtin+4k[view] [source] 2024-02-02 01:01:54
>>oconno+(OP)
Starlinks are actually built so that nothing sizeable remains at all after reentry. This even delayed the laser coms a bit, as the original laser mirrors were too sturdy & so pieces of them could theoretically make it through.
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