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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — space‘s newest fleet of satellites exits orbit after being hit by a solar storm.
Of the 49 small satellites launched last week, up to 40 have either re-entered the atmosphere and burned down, or are on the verge of doing so, the company said in an online update Tuesday night.
Space X He said last Friday that a geomagnetic storm made the atmosphere denser, which increased the friction on the Starlink satellites and effectively destroyed them.
Ground controllers tried to save the compact, flat-panel satellites by putting them in a kind of hibernation mode and flying them in a way that minimized drag. But, according to the company, the atmospheric gravity was too great and the satellites were unable to wake up and climb to a higher, more stable orbit.
Space X There are still nearly 2,000 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth and providing internet service to the far corners of the world. They circle the Earth for more than 340 miles (550 kilometers).
Satellites hit by the solar storm were in a temporary position. Space X It deliberately launches them into this unusually low orbit so that any duds can quickly re-enter the atmosphere and pose no threat to other spacecraft.
According to the company, these newly dropped satellites pose no danger in orbit or on the ground.
Each satellite weighs less than 575 pounds (260 kilograms).
Space X He described the missing satellites as a “unique situation”. Such geomagnetic storms are caused by intense solar activity, such as eruptions, that can send streams of plasma blasting from the sun’s corona into space and toward Earth.
Since launching the first Starlink satellites in 2019, Elon Musk has envisioned a constellation of thousands of satellites to boost internet service. Space X is trying to help restore internet service to Tonga through this network after the devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami.
based in London OneWeb They have their own internet satellites out there. Amazon plans to start launching its satellites later this year.
Astronomers are concerned that these mega constellations will ruin nighttime observations from Earth. The International Astronomical Union is creating a new center for dark skies protection.
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