In late 2021, scientists from the European Space Agency (ESA) noticed an alarming situation. Scientists have revealed that satellites measuring the magnetic field around the Earth are moving very quickly towards the atmosphere.
Solar storm drives satellites towards Earth
This movement of the satellites, which began to move towards the atmosphere at a speed 10 times faster than before, coincides with the beginning of the new solar cycle. Experts think that this may be the beginning of some difficult years for our planet and the spacecraft in its orbit.
Anja Stromme, ESA’s Swarm mission manager, told Space.com:
In the last five or six years, satellites have been sinking about two and a half kilometers per year. But since December of last year they have been diving almost. The rate of decline between December and April shows 20 kilometers per year.
Satellites orbiting the Earth slow down over time and eventually fall on our planet. Most satellites burn down during re-entry. Experts, on the other hand, are making various maneuvers to protect the position of the satellites in order to prevent this situation.
This gravitational effect actually gets in the way of the orbiting space junk. However, the withdrawal of satellites to Earth so quickly seems quite dangerous. It is a matter of curiosity how the experts will follow in this regard.
Scientists explained that this effect is due to solar activity. Depending on the 11-year solar cycle, the amount of solar wind emitted by the sun and the rate of pushing the satellites to the earth increase. After the last cycle ended in December 2019, the solar winds were quite calm.
But since last autumn, more and more solar winds are appearing. Along with this, sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections occur. The upper atmosphere of the Earth has already begun to feel these effects.
Currently, ESA’s satellites are negatively affected by this situation, while SpaceX lost 40 Starlink satellites in February due to solar winds. The lower the orbital heights of the satellites, the higher the probability of being affected by this situation. And some satellites can’t escape falling to earth.
This adversely affects the lifetime of satellites. In addition, there are concerns that some satellites entering the atmosphere will pose a danger to the world. As the positive side of this situation, we can show that the satellite garbage around the world will decrease.
So what do you think about the danger posed by satellites and other instruments on the atmosphere? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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