They were launched on February 3. The very next day, they were caught in a geomagnetic storm. 40 of the last Starlink SpaceX satellites could not be put into orbit. They began to fall back to Earth.
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“Unfortunately, the satellites star link deployed last Thursday were significantly impacted the following day by a geomagnetic storm. » This can be read in the spacex newsfeed. A storm Geomagnetic is what happens when charged particles come to us from the Sun and disturb the magnetic fields that protect the Earth. For this, powerful eruptions or ejections of mass coronal (CME) occur on the surface of the Sun. Enough to illuminate our sky with magnificent polar auroras. What, also, cause damage to our technologies.
According to SpaceXit’s warmingatmosphere due to the geomagnetic storm and in fact, the increase in density at low deployment altitudes of Starlink satellites — some 210 kilometers –, which is responsible for the loss of at least 40 machines. “Atmospheric drag was found to be up to 50% greater than that encountered on other launches. » And even though the satellites were encouraged to fly on the edge — like a sheet of paper — to minimize this effect, nothing helped. They were unable to climb orbit.
The Caribbean Astronomical Society is reporting what may correspond to re-entries into the atmosphere of Starlink satellites hit by a geomagnetic storm late last week. © kevinizoorope, YouTube
More incidents of this type to come?
It should be noted that none of the Starlink satellites already in orbit – more than 1,800 cruising at an altitude of around 550 kilometers – appear to have been affected. In the meantime, the 40 impacted satellites have started falling back to Earth. Without risk of collision with other satellites and with the assurance provided by SpaceX that none of these space debris won’t touch the ground.
Since the end of January, the astronomers observe a resurgence of activity on the surface of our Sun. And this geomagnetic storm that hit the Starlink satellites hard seems to be the result of a Solar eruption of the most classic that occurred on the 30th of last month. After two or three quiet years, our star is indeed on its way to maximum activity expected for 2025. And geomagnetic storms could thus multiply in the coming months.
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