Elon Musk ’s SpaceX has lost up to 40 of the 49 satellites launched last Thursday . These were going to be part of the controversial mega - constellation Starlink but the Sun apparently had other plans . A geomagnetic storm hitting Earth the twenty-four hours after launch broadcast the satellites incinerate down into the atmosphere .
Geomagnetic storms can be unsafe to electronics due to the increased level of charged corpuscle from the Sun . But a petty effect is at child’s play here . These major space weather condition effect affect the air too , modify its compactness . There is not a big change at our altitude , but when you are century of kilometers above the ground , weigh on an extremely fragile ambiance , this is a game - record changer .
The Starlink satellites are deploy into an orbit that takes them as snug as 210 kilometers ( 130 miles ) from the ground , and from there they climb to high ambit . The geomagnetic tempest had increase the density of the ambience and the satellites lead off to experience 50 percentage more retarding force than these trade are expected to in this part of the orbital maneuver .
“ The Starlink team commanded the satellites into a good - mode where they would fell edge - on ( like a sheet of paper ) to minimize puff — to effectively “ take cover charge from the storm”—and continued to make for closely with the Space Force ’s 18th Space Control Squadron and LeoLabs to provide updates on the satellite establish on flat coat microwave radar , ” the company said in apress program line .
The potent drag block up to 80 per centum of the newly launch fleet from leaving dependable mode , mean the satellite have either already burn out in the atmospheric state or they will shortly . They have been designed so that no part would hit the ground .
Many astronomer have complained about the Starlink constellation , as the satellites appear in many reflexion reducingthe quality of the images taken . The constellation will have 12,000 satellites when it is nail and Musk has call for permission for 30,000 more . This is an incredibly high number that could have major consequences not just for astronomy but also for the exploration of infinite .
In April last year , there were7,389 individual satellitesin Space , and about half of them were active . Of those 3,000 or so spacecraft , two - thirds belonged to Starlink .
The caput of the European Space Agency , Josef Aschbacher , has complained about Musk " making the rules " in space and China has accused the US of ignore outside pact . Tiangong , the Asian country ’s space post , hadto be moved twice to avoid collisionswith Starlink satellites .
