COULD WE save satellites and astronauts by wiping out the Van Allen belts? The question, in my mind, is less 'could' than 'should'.

At present we don’t think there is any downside to not having them, but as with all things geophysical, it is hard to know all the complex interconnections between the various systems and estimate the full effect of removing the radiation belts completely.

One would think that we have learned from the 'climate change' debate, but probably not....