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points by anonymous_sorry 3 days ago | 0 comments

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)?

LEO will be worthless soon enough.

https://outerspaceinstitute.ca/crashclock/

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 3 days ago

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.

[–] hagbard_c 3 days ago

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 3 days ago

> 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?

[–] hagbard_c 2 days ago

> Doesn't matter

That's how you end up with the untold amount of waste and fraud in government everywhere. It does matter where the money ends up because otherwise it will be wasted and/or swindled away.

As said we're not there yet w.r.t. the need for such measures, the interesting photo notwithstanding. There is time enough to prepare for the eventuality that such measures are needed which also gives time to define a price point based on e.g. the revenues and profits achieved by those using LEO for their operations. The same was done for bandwidth auctions - and I have no idea where that money goes - so it can be done again here if and when needed.

[–] lxgr 2 days ago

If the primary purpose of the auction is to make sure the resource gets allocated to the entity that sees the most value in it, this mechanism still works regardless of whether the money goes to the most evil person/entity you can imagine or to the charity of your choice.

Of course I'd rather it go to something useful to society too, but I hope it's clear how that's a different conversation.