Sun vs. Musk: Over 200 Satellites Lost in 2 Months - Elon Musk's Solar Nemesis 🛰️☀️💔

Elon Musk owns numerous businesses. One of them, known as Starlink, aims to cover the sky with satellites that offer internet access to people all over the world. Along the way, he is ejecting space debris into a low orbit, but that is an other subject.

 

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Let's get down to business. Data from a satellite tracking website shows that since July, more than 200 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) have disappeared from SpaceX's Starlink constellation of broadband satellites.

 

This is the first instance in which Starlink has lost a sizable number of satellites in a brief period of time. Typically, solar flares are to blame for these losses since they alter spacecraft orbits and inflict damage or destruction.

 

Unknown as to the model of the satellites, SpaceX will need to conduct at least nine Falcon 9 launches to replace the lost ones if they are the more recent Starlink satellites that it frequently launches.

 

 

 

 

The planet's largest satellite constellation

 

Since becoming a SpaceX subsidiary, Starlink has quickly amassed the largest constellation of satellites and the largest constellation of LEO Internet satellites by launching them using the Falcon 9 rocket.

 

However, the number of satellites the corporation can launch has been lowered due to satellite upgrades and Falcon 9 constraints. When compared to the 60 satellites SpaceX was launching in the early days of Starlink, recent flights have launched roughly 22 satellites each liftoff, a decrease of almost a third.

 

The FCC granted SpaceX permission to launch the new satellites, which are second-generation satellites, less than a year ago. They are more potent and thus bigger and heavier than the earlier ones, which restricts the Falcon 9's capacity to carry many satellites in a single payload fairing.

 

 

Video of last night’s @Starlink satellite deployment pic.twitter.com/K7ezZLLusz

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 16, 2023

 

 

The threats to the space fleet

 

Satellites in orbit or in space must contend with a variety of dangers that could cause them harm or render them unusable. When a solar flare damaged at least 40 of the satellites in February 2022, SpaceX had to deal with one of them.

 

SpaceX verified that the heat from the solar flare increased atmospheric density and made it impossible for the satellites to stay on course.

 

However, if the information from the satellite tracking website satellitemap.space is accurate, the corporation could need to speed up its launches. This website keeps track of the overall number of Starlink satellites launched, as well as how many are in operation, inactive, and burned.

 

It demonstrates that as of July 15, 353 Starlink satellites had exploded in the atmosphere, and the most recent data boosted this number by more than 200, to 568 spacecraft.

 

The number of satellites destroyed in the previous two months is larger than in the first seven months of the year, when only 248 satellites had burnt.

 

 

 

A few weeks after a solar flare destroyed the Starlink satellites, SpaceX explained in great detail the precautions it takes to keep the satellites operational.

 

He mentioned that the satellites are equipped with features like "ducking," which enables them to retract their solar panels in the case of a collision. The satellites' low orbit, according to SpaceX, lessens the likelihood that they would contaminate the Earth's orbit because they burn up in the atmosphere rather than orbiting the planet for years before descending owing to gravity.

 

The FCC receives updates from SpaceX on the status of its constellation on a semi-annual basis, so it is doubtful that information from satellites that have burned up since July will be accessible anytime soon.

 

Its upcoming rival Elon Musk wants to ensure that he has the first satellite internet position by 2030, right at the start of a new decade, because Kuiper, an Amazon subsidiary, plans to launch its experimental satellites soon.

 

 

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

 

Q1: What is Starlink, and what is its primary goal?

 

A1: Starlink is one of Elon Musk's businesses aimed at providing internet access to people worldwide using a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

 

 

Q2: Why have more than 200 satellites from SpaceX's Starlink constellation disappeared since July?

 

A2: The disappearance of satellites is unusual for Starlink and typically occurs due to solar flares, which can alter spacecraft orbits and cause damage or destruction.

 

 

Q3: How many Falcon 9 launches will SpaceX need to replace the lost Starlink satellites?

 

A3: SpaceX would need to conduct at least nine Falcon 9 launches to replace the lost satellites if they are the more recent Starlink satellites.

 

 

Q4: How has Starlink become the largest constellation of LEO Internet satellites?

 

A4: Starlink became the largest LEO Internet satellite constellation by launching satellites using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.

 

 

Q5: Why has the number of satellites launched in recent flights decreased compared to earlier Starlink launches?

 

A5: The number of satellites launched per flight has decreased due to satellite upgrades and constraints on the Falcon 9's capacity.

 

 

Q6: What are some of the dangers that satellites in orbit or in space face?

 

A6: Satellites in orbit or space face dangers such as solar flares, collisions, and changes in atmospheric density that can affect their functionality.

 

 

Q7: How has SpaceX addressed some of the dangers faced by Starlink satellites?

 

A7: SpaceX has equipped Starlink satellites with features like "ducking" to retract solar panels in the case of a collision. The low orbit of these satellites reduces the risk of long-term orbital contamination.

 

 

Q8: How often does the FCC receive updates from SpaceX regarding the status of its satellite constellation?

 

A8: The FCC receives updates from SpaceX on the status of its satellite constellation on a semi-annual basis.

 

 

Q9: Why is Elon Musk aiming to secure the first satellite internet position by 2030?

 

A9: Elon Musk aims to secure the first satellite internet position by 2030 to compete with Kuiper, an Amazon subsidiary planning to launch experimental satellites.

 

 

Q10: Where can one find updates on the status of Starlink satellites and their numbers?

 

A10: Updates on the status of Starlink satellites and their numbers can be found on the satellite tracking website satellitemap.space.