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Starlink Satellites Fall to Earth Faster During Increased Solar Activity, Study Finds
- A recent study revealed that increased solar storms are causing SpaceX's Starlink satellites to descend from orbit more quickly in 2024, leading to accelerated reentry into the atmosphere.
- This phenomenon occurs because the Sun is nearing the peak of its 11-year solar maximum cycle, which causes intense geomagnetic storms that expand Earth's atmosphere and increase drag on satellites.
- Researchers studying 523 Starlink satellites launched since 2019 discovered that during intense geomagnetic storms, the satellites' final phase of descent—from about 280 km altitude to reentry—occurred 10 to 12 days faster than during periods of low solar activity.
- In August 2024, debris from one of the Starlink satellites landed on a Canadian farm, highlighting the growing concerns over unpredictable reentry trajectories and potential dangers associated with objects in low Earth orbit.
- The study highlights the need for careful satellite trajectory monitoring during high solar activity to mitigate collision risks and protect both orbiting spacecraft and Earth's surface.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Why Elon Musk's satellites are 'dropping like flies'
Elon Musk has no shortage of targets for his animosity: the media, "woke" progressives, the trans "agenda" and, most recently, his former best buddy Donald Trump. But one less expected Musk adversary is more powerful than them all: the Sun.SpaceX's vast network of Starlink internet service satellites are "dropping like flies", due to an extraterrestrial weather phenomenon caused by the Sun, said Futurism. And it's only set to get worse.'Particul…
Sun's intensifying activity causes more Starlink satellites to fall: media report
The Sun's intensifying activity is affecting Earth's satellites, particularly those in SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle, a surge in geomagnetic storms are causing more Starlink satellites to deorbit and fall from the sky, a recent study by a NASA research center revealed, according to media reports on Sunday.
Starlink satellites fall to Earth faster during increased solar activity, study finds
A trio of heliophysicists and satellite trackers at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute at the University of Maryland has found evidence showing that Starlink satellites reenter Earth's atmosphere faster during heightened solar activity. For their paper posted on the arXiv preprint server, Denny Oliveira, Eftyhia Zesta and Katherine Garcia-Sage analyzed Starlink satellite data over the years 2020 and…
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