40 of the 49 satellites launched by SpaceX on February 3 will never reach their destination due to a solar storm. This is the first time that the Starlink constellation has been impacted by such an event.
The satellites could not be saved despite the efforts of Starlink teams
On January 29, 2022, a major solar flare, also known as a coronal mass ejection, was detected on the surface of our star. This ejection reached Earth around February 2, causing a geomagnetic storm. The majority of satellites sent by SpaceX into low orbit on February 3 unfortunately could not escape the repercussions of this phenomenon.
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This is because solar storms add kinetic energy to particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. Consequently, the atmosphere expands and gains in density. This increases the drag experienced by objects moving there, like satellites, and reduces the size of their orbit, bringing them closer to the lower atmosphere in which they burn up. “ Onboard GPS suggests that the storm’s escalation in speed and severity resulted in an increase in atmospheric drag up to 50% greater than previous launches “, explains SpaceX in a blog post.
While Starlink crews placed the satellites in safe mode, meaning they flew sideways to minimize drag and shield themselves from the storm, their efforts weren’t enough. ” Preliminary analyzes show that increased low-altitude drag has prevented satellites from exiting failsafe mode to begin orbit elevation maneuvers, and that up to 40 of the satellites will re-enter or have already re-entered the earth’s atmosphere “, explains the company.
The devices will therefore be consumed when they enter the atmosphere, SpaceX would like to point out that ” de-orbited satellites pose no risk of collision with other satellites and, by design, they disintegrate upon re-entry into the atmosphere, meaning no orbital debris is created and no parts of the satellite does not touch the ground “.
The Sun oscillates between periods of hyperactivity and quietude. Image: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/FlickR
Solar storms will be more violent in the coming years
This event demonstrates the dangers faced by constellations of satellites in low Earth orbit, which will also increase in number in the years to come with a booming private space sector. Also, it is important to note that the Sun has an 11-year cycle in which it oscillates between states of hyperactivity and calm; it is currently heading towards its peak which should take place in 2025, phenomena such as solar storms should therefore increase and even be much more violent during this period… This suggests the worst for small satellites evolving in low orbit .
The loss of 40 satellites may seem minimal for SpaceX, which already has more than 1,900 devices in orbit and plans to send thousands more with the aim of providing an Internet network to the most remote regions of the world. world. However, it represents a loss equivalent to 100 million dollars because, in addition to the satellites, it is also necessary to take into account the price of the launch by the Falcon 9 rocket.
Constellations like Starlink increasingly criticized
According to Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert at the University of Southampton in England interviewed by the New York Timesthe loss of these satellites is a “ hard lesson for SpaceX. ” I hope this will bring them back to their senses “, he continues. Indeed, it would be preferable for the firm to take into account space weather, in addition to climatic conditions on Earth, before operating a launch.
Satellite constellations have drawn strong criticism from the scientific community: in addition to increasing the risk of collisions and space debris in orbit, they directly affect astronomers’ observation of the cosmos. Moreover, a Center for the protection of the dark sky against satellite interference has recently been created in order to solve this growing problem.