Big loss! Musk launched 49 Starlink satellites and 40 were shot down by the solar magnetic storm

Comprehensive technology website Geekwire, CNN website and other news on the 9th, Musk founded SpaceX said on Wednesday that 40 of the 49 starlink satellites launched by the company last week were hit by solar magnetic storms, causing them to de-orbit and be burned.

Image source: SpaceX website

40 Starlink satellites planted!

SpaceX announced on its website that the satellites were launched into orbit last Thursday (February 3) and are located about 210 kilometers above Earth. However, they were de-orbited by solar magnetic storm shocks on Friday (February 4) and are expected to crash.

SpaceX stressed that the fallen satellite "has zero risk of collision with other satellites and is burned up on re-entry into the atmosphere — meaning no orbital debris will be generated, nor will satellite components hit Earth." ”

It's unclear how big the financial impact of the event will be, as SpaceX didn't disclose the cost of building the Starlink satellite. But the company's president, Gwynne Shotwell, said in 2019 that the cost of building a starlink satellite was less than $1 million per satellite.

Causing distress to the space environment

As of now, SpaceX has launched a total of about 2,000 Starlink satellites. SpaceX has said it will eventually need to launch up to 42,000 satellites. All satellites work together to provide global, high-speed, uninterrupted Internet service. As of January, the service had about 145,000 users in 25 countries.

Despite the good prospects, Starlink satellites have caused a lot of trouble in the space environment.

Many astronomers have criticized the project's large number of satellites that travel through the night sky for leaving streaks in the telescope's field of view.

In addition, much of the space junk formed could jeopardize the safety of other operating spacecraft.

SpaceX isn't the only company targeting the satellite connectivity market: OneWeb, an Anglo-Indian joint venture that emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2020, has launched nearly 400 satellites, and it will launch another 34 this week.

At the same time, Amazon's satellite network program is similar to SpaceX's.

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