Kessler syndrome: vertical diffusion rate?
- The post asks how quickly debris from a Kessler syndrome cascade in LEO would spread vertically to higher orbits versus remaining in the originating orbital shell. - It notes simulations show rapid lateral spread of debris, especially from large collisions, and suggests higher-inclination fragments might intersect populated near-equatorial orbits more often. - The author questions whether daughter collisions mainly preserve shell momentum or instead produce highly elliptical fragments whose low perigees are cleared by drag. - They ask if mechanisms other than orbit elongation can add the delta‑V needed to loft debris into higher, near‑circular orbits.
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