“Ejecting” being the operative word. The waste would need significant ∆V compared to the space station in order to actually fall instead of stay at a similar orbit and create a hazard.
Also, considering it could travel between systems, it couldn’t always rely on a planetary atmosphere to dump its waste on.
It would be characteristically Empire to eject the waste in a geosynchronous orbit so it stays there for years and years, as a “fuck you” to the planet below.
“Ejecting” being the operative word. The waste would need significant ∆V compared to the space station in order to actually fall instead of stay at a similar orbit and create a hazard.
Also, considering it could travel between systems, it couldn’t always rely on a planetary atmosphere to dump its waste on.
It would be characteristically Empire to eject the waste in a geosynchronous orbit so it stays there for years and years, as a “fuck you” to the planet below.