The following video. There are about 40 Starlink satellites currently falling out of the sky – the surprising result of a small geomagnetic storm. SpaceX made notice yesterday:
“On Thursday, February 3 at 1:13 p.m. EST, Falcon 9 launched 49 Starlink satellites arrive in low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. … Unfortunately, the satellites deployed on Thursday were significantly impacted by a geomagnetic storm on Friday, [Feb. 4th]. ”
Most of the recent series of Starlink satellites, launched on February 3, 2022, may have re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, or will do so soon, because of a nearby geomagnetic storm, says SpaceX. This prevented the satellites from reaching their intended orbits.
As of February, more than 2,000 Starlink satellites have been launched, which are part of a constellation that provides satellite internet access to remote areas and most of the Earth. On February 3, 2022, a Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral with 49 new Starlink satellites, designated group G4-7. Immediately after launch, satellite tracking experts suspected something was amiss, as details of the orbits of these new satellites have yet to be released. In fact, it is possible that one or more satellites re-entered the atmosphere over the Caribbean Sea recently.
This video from Puerto Rico sky surveillance cameras, from the Sociedad de Astronomia del Caribe, shows an interesting event that appears to be related: first, an object is seen disintegrating, with fragmentation Notably, it’s a feature of space debris. Dramatic images were seen shortly after, just a minute later, a larger object was seen in a spectacular disintegration event and satellite tracking experts agree that the event could be linked related to the Starlink satellite launched on February 3, 2022. Recent solar storms may be responsible.
“Unfortunately, the satellites deployed on Thursday were significantly impacted by a geomagnetic storm on Friday. These storms cause the atmosphere to warm and the density of the atmosphere at our low deployment altitudes to increase. In fact, the onboard GPS showed that the rate of escalation and severity of the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase by up to 50% compared with previous launches. The Starlink team commanded the satellites into a safe mode where they would hover (like a sheet of paper) to minimize drag — to effectively “shield from the storm” — and continue to work together. closely with Space Force Control Squadron 18 and LeoLabs to provide up-to-date satellite information based on ground-based radar. re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. The orbiting satellites have no risk of colliding with other satellites and are designed to destroy the atmosphere upon re-entry – meaning no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts. landfall. ,” SpaceX said in a recent update.
Marco Langbroeg, a satellite tracking expert from the Netherlands, said:
“I did astronomical measurements when I saw Puerto Rico, and the orbital inclination matches the 53.2 degrees of the Starlink launch. My best guess is still this is one of the Starlink satellites that went down from February 3”
Each Starlink satellite measures 10.5 ft (3.2 meters) x 5.25 ft (1.6 meters) and weighs 573 lbs. (260 kg). Some dead satellites will re-enter the atmosphere over the next few days, and although the exact location and time are still uncertain, just in case, keep looking!
Article by Eddie Irizarry / Sociedad de Astronomia del Caribe (SAC) www.SociedadAstronomia.com
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