The space company SpaceX, of which Elon Musk is the CEO, has placed more than 2,000 satellites in low orbit as part of the Starlink project to date. While the company’s overall goal is to reach 42,000 satellites, astronomers continue to take action against SpaceX and other planned future projects. Today, there has been a development that will give more power to astronomers and upset SpaceX.
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites were recently subjected to a major geomagnetic storm. The storm affected an estimated 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites that were launched on February 3 and are in the process of entering orbit. According to the statement, the storm caused the satellites to be exposed to 50% more frictional force. For this reason, the satellites could not reach the orbit they should have.
Nearly 40 Starlink satellites will be destroyed
Although Starlink tried a different flight method to combat this friction force, bad news was shared. SpaceX, in the statement it shared, announced that nearly 40 satellites have re-entered or will re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and will be destroyed by burning. The relevant part of the statement by SpaceX was as follows:
“Preliminary analyzes show that increased friction at low altitudes is preventing satellites from exiting safe mode to begin orbital elevation maneuvers, and that as many as 40 satellites will re-enter or have already re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. Satellites leaving orbit have zero risk of collision with other satellites and are by design destroyed on atmospheric reentry; that is, no orbital debris is formed and no satellite fragments hit the ground. This unique case demonstrates how hard the Starlink team has worked to ensure that the system is a pioneer in orbital debris reduction.”
As you can see from the last sentence, SpaceX has recently responded to a point of departure for astronomers against orbiting satellites. Astronomers were explaining that thousands of satellites sent into space would form a satellite dump in the future. On the other hand, SpaceX did not make a statement about the discussion that astronomical observations from the ground would be prevented.
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