May 13, 2020 By Michael Allen Hakai Magazine
Rapid proliferation of satellites in orbit is raising a number of concerns: astronomers fear the tiny craft will mar their observations, while Starlink satellites have already proved to be a possible collision risk for other spacecraft. And Nicola Pirrone, research director at the National Research Council of Italy’s Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, is worried about what would happen if one of these satellite manufacturers were to switch to using mercury as a fuel—a cheap and readily available alternative.
