They had barely reached their intended orbits. ☄️ engineering
island of Tonga. However, the quality of Starlink's services is dependent on the number of satellites that it places in the orbit and according to some current estimates, SpaceX plans to launch over 12,000 such satellites in its initial phase. in their orbit and almost secured one more such feat with its February 3rd launch. According to the update posted on SpaceX's website, the rocket had deployed 49 Starlink satellites in low orbits at a perigee of approximately 130 miles .
SpaceX claims that it purposely deploys its satellites at low altitudes to ensure that the satellites which are unfit for operation following initial system checkout are deorbited by atmospheric drag. However, a geomagnetic storm that hit the Earth's atmosphere shortly after Starlink's satellites were placed in these orbits, prevented SpaceX from raising the satellites to their intended orbits.
According to the update, the atmospheric drag in the area increased by as much as 50 percent due to the geomagnetic storm following which the SpaceX team decided to switch the satellites to a safe mode and let them orbit"edge-on" to minimize the drag they were experiencing. Unfortunately, though, this maneuver to take cover from the storm did not work out in SpaceX's favor and as many as 40 satellites did not partake in their orbit raising maneuvers.of the night sky.
In its statement, SpaceX clarified that these satellites will either soon or may already have entered the Earth's atmosphere and burned up on re-entry, posing no danger to other satellites or on the ground either. Stay ahead with the latest science, technology and innovation news, for free: