Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink has taken a big hit. In a press release by SpaceX, it was reported that 40 of the 49 new Starlink satellites launched on February 3 are predicted to be destroyed by the severe geomagnetic storm.
The company said this natural phenomenon is causing the atmosphere to warm and increase atmospheric density at low altitudes. It was stated that the satellites coming out of orbit do not pose a threat to other satellites, and they are designed to be destroyed by burning when they enter the earth’s atmosphere.
Accounts not kept
It is stated that the geomagnetic storm in question increased the atmospheric drag by 50 percent compared to previous launches, and this prevented the launched satellites from reaching the desired orbit around the world. SpaceX tried to launch the satellites as close together as possible to minimize this drag.
SpaceX has recently launched its 2,000th Starlink satellite into orbit. The company plans to launch a total of 12,000 satellites to provide satellite internet service worldwide. The total cost of the Starlink project will reach 10 billion dollars.
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