The Caribbean Astronomical Society (SAC) captured images of the Starlink satellites falling into the Earth’s atmosphere above Puerto Rico at around 2:40 p.m. local time on February 7. SAC says several experts who have studied the orbits of the satellites have confirmed that images show the Starlink satellites disintegrating into many pieces as they slammed into Earth’s atmosphere. The video also shows that the satellites have likely disintegrated over the island.
SpaceX launched 49 new Starlink satellites on February 3, but lost at least 40 the next day due to ambient conditions in space. The satellite fleet was caught in a geomagnetic storm that warmed the atmosphere and increased atmospheric density. This increased drag by over 50 percent and prevented the satellites from exiting safe mode, forcing them to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. The satellites burned as they entered the atmosphere, meaning little or no debris fell to the ground.
You can watch the video of Starlink satellites falling to Earth below: