{"id":17420,"date":"2022-02-09T17:33:56","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T09:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacexs-falling-starlink-satellites-highlight-concerns-about-the-future-of-orbital-traffic\/"},"modified":"2022-02-09T17:33:56","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T09:33:56","slug":"spacexs-falling-starlink-satellites-highlight-concerns-about-the-future-of-orbital-traffic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacexs-falling-starlink-satellites-highlight-concerns-about-the-future-of-orbital-traffic\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX\u2019s falling Starlink satellites highlight concerns about the future of orbital traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full-width\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"362\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210310-starlink2-630x362.jpg\" alt=\"Starlink satellites in orbit\" class=\"wp-image-608559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210310-starlink2-630x362.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210310-starlink2-1260x723.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210310-starlink2-768x441.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210310-starlink2-1536x882.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/210310-starlink2.jpg 1977w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption>A rocket\u2019s-eye view shows a stack of SpaceX Starlink satellites just before orbital deployment. (SpaceX Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>SpaceX says that most of the satellites it launched last week for its Starlink broadband internet constellation are doomed to fall from orbit due to a solar storm.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the company\u2019s analysis, as many as 40 of the 49 satellites \u2014 which were built at SpaceX\u2019s facility in Redmond, Wash. \u2014 will plunge through the atmosphere and burn up. Some have already made the plunge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, how I love the smell of burning satellites in the morning,\u201d Marco Langbroek, a satellite consultant at Leiden University in the Netherlands, joked in a tweet.<\/p>\n<p>In an update, SpaceX stressed that the falling satellites \u201cpose zero collision risk with other satellites and by design demise upon atmospheric re-entry \u2014 meaning no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts hit the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the satellite failures draw attention to the challenges raised by the rise of satellite mega-constellations, even as the Federal Communications Commission considers SpaceX\u2019s proposal to launch nearly 30,000 second-generation Starlink satellites into new orbital configurations.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=b0yle&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1491428104195436545&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geekwire.com%2F2022%2Fspacexs-falling-starlink-satellites-highlight-concerns-about-the-future-of-orbital-traffic%2F&amp;sessionId=87c011c7ba36eb66834b3eeebcaeb95c84eed0e5&amp;siteScreenName=geekwire&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1491428104195436545\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i17827999136064757=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">1\/x<br \/>I can now say with some more certainty that this is one of the Starlink satellites from the unfortunate 3 Feb launch reentering the atmosphere.<br \/>I did some astrometry on the footage (taken from A\u00f1asco, Puerto Rico) for a very rough orbit fit. The aim was to get some  (cont.) https:\/\/t.co\/iaLyqndeVB<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) February 9, 2022<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>SpaceX has already launched more than 2,000 Starlink satellites, with the objective of providing broadband internet access to billions of people around the world who are currently underserved. Starlink services are currently available on a limited basis, but thousands more satellites have yet to be launched to expand connectivity.<\/p>\n<p>The FCC approved SpaceX\u2019s plan for a constellation of nearly 12,000 satellites years ago. SpaceX says the second-generation constellation, also known as Gen2, would provide wider and better service.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX isn\u2019t the only company targeting the satellite connectivity market: OneWeb, a British-Indian venture that emerged from bankruptcy in 2020, has launched nearly 400 satellites and is due to send up another 34 this week. It plans to ramp up commercial service this year.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon, meanwhile, is laying the groundwork for its Project Kuiper satellite network in Redmond, not far from SpaceX\u2019s satellite manufacturing operation.<\/p>\n<p>In comments filed with the FCC, Amazon mentioned satellite failures and the potential for orbital collisions as factors that had to be considered in weighing SpaceX\u2019s Gen2 proposal.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe likelihood of conjunction increases substantially when hundreds or thousands of satellites from different constellations are operating at close altitudes,\u201d Amazon lead counsel C. Andrew Keisner wrote.<\/p>\n<p>To reduce the risk of collision or interference, Keisner urged the FCC to require that SpaceX\u2019s Starlink satellites fly no higher than 580 kilometers (360 miles), and that certain types of operational data should be shared.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fireballs over Puerto Rico likely from doomed Starlink batch\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mUlAz_Oxv4Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Officials from NASA and the National Science Foundation were among other commenters raising concerns about SpaceX\u2019s Gen2 plans.<\/p>\n<p>NASA\u2019s Samantha Fonder wrote that the plans \u201chave the potential to impact NASA operations and the safety of NASA assets.\u201d<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"callout clearfix\"><strong>Read more<\/strong>: Comments from NASA and NSF about Starlink<\/h4>\n<p>Fonder said the space agency suggests that \u201cSpaceX work with NASA to demonstrate the proposed [satellite auto-maneuvering] capability with increasing volumes of satellites prior to each successive launch so that it may troubleshoot any issues that arise and make adjustments, as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NSF officials told the FCC that they share the \u201cgeneral concerns of NASA, regulators and satellite operators with respect to orbital debris and congestion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Just last week, NSF\u2019s NOIRLab unveiled a partnership with the International Astronomical Union and the SKA Observatory to address the challenges that mega-constellations pose for astronomers and skygazers.<\/p>\n<p>Roughly 200 Starlink satellites have gone out of operation after launch \u2014 either due to on-orbit failure, or intentional or unplanned deorbiting. SpaceX said the latest failures were the result of a geomagnetic storm that occurred on Friday while the satellites were still in their initial 210-kilometer-high (130-mile-high) orbits:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThese storms cause the atmosphere to warm and atmospheric density at our low deployment altitudes to increase. In fact, onboard GPS suggests the escalation speed and severity of the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase up to 50 percent higher than during previous launches. The Starlink team commanded the satellites into a safe-mode where they would fly edge-on (like a sheet of paper) to minimize drag \u2014 to effectively \u2018take cover from the storm\u2019 \u2014 and continued to work closely with the Space Force\u2019s 18th Space Control Squadron and LeoLabs to provide updates on the satellites based on ground radars.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Starlink satellites are equipped with krypton ion thrusters for on-orbit maneuvers, but SpaceX said the increased atmospheric drag prevented the satellites from getting out of their safe-mode configurations and raising their orbits.<\/p>\n<p>The company highlighted the fact that the satellites are designed to burn up completely as they fall from orbit. \u201cThis unique situation demonstrates the great lengths the Starlink team has gone to ensure the system is on the leading edge of on-orbit debris mitigation,\u201d SpaceX said.<\/p>\n<p>For what it\u2019s worth, the current solar activity cycle is projected to peak in 2025.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A rocket\u2019s-eye view shows a stack of SpaceX Starlink satellites just before orbital deployment. (SpaceX Photo) SpaceX says that most of the satellites it launched last week for its Starlink broadband internet constellation are doomed to fall from orbit due to a solar storm. Based on the company\u2019s analysis, as many as 40 of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[275,252,277,962,20,4336,442,316,440],"class_list":["post-17420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-amazon","tag-broadband","tag-fcc","tag-project-kuiper","tag-satellite","tag-satellite-broadband","tag-satellites","tag-spacex","tag-starlink"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17420"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17420\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}