SpaceX's 40 Starlink Satellites To Crash As Sun's Geomagnetic Storm Hits Earth

A SpaceX press release has revealed that at least 40 Starlink satellites from Thursday¡¯s SpaceX launch are on their way to disintegrate into Earth¡¯s atmosphere.

SpaceX

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To the unaware, last week, SpaceX sent 49 Starlink satellites loaded on a Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Centre.

The satellites were deployed at their intended orbit, with a perigee of approximately 210 kilometres above Earth, and each satellite achieved controlled flight. However, right after the launch, a geomagnetic storm slammed into Earth¡¯s atmosphere.

Nihal Amin

In case you didn¡¯t know, a geomagnetic storm is a result of the sun releasing solar wind particles that are released throughout the solar system. The particles are known to affect the planet¡¯s magnetic field and in the process, disrupt satellites by increasing drag and affecting their orbits.

When the storm hit Earth last week, it did the exact same thing -- intensify the drag on the satellites. SpaceX at the time put all of them in safe mode and flew them ¡®edge on¡¯ to reduce drag while also taking cover from the storm. However, based on preliminary analysis, the satellites never really turned on from the safe mode and are unable to raise their orbit.

Also Read: Elon Musk¡¯s Starlink Internet Will Go Live In Rural India By December 2022

NASA

According to SpaceX, these satellites are now expected to either re-enter or might have re-entered the Earth¡¯s atmosphere. But we don¡¯t really need to worry as they're designed to disintegrate entirely, not causing the debris to affect the people on the planet while also not posing any threats to other satellites orbiting our planet.

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