40 of the 49 newest Starlink microsatellites, which were launched on February 3, deorbited due to a strong magnetic storm. This was announced on Wednesday, February 9 by SpaceX.
The geomagnetic storm caused the heating of the atmosphere, increased its density and resistance at the heights where the constellation of satellites is deployed. As a result of a natural phenomenon, the devices failed.
“De-orbiting satellites pose zero risk of collision with other satellites and, due to their design, are destroyed upon re-entry into the atmosphere,” the company said in a statement.
Earlier, on January 19, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 launch vehicle with a batch of mini-satellites to replenish the orbital constellation of the global Internet coverage network of the Starlink system.
The total investment in the project, designed to provide people around the world with high-speed Internet, is estimated at $10 billion.
In late December, entrepreneur, Tesla director and SpaceX founder Elon Musk refuted the words of the head of the European Space Agency, Josef Aschbacher, about the dominance of Starlink satellites in space.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
