In the past few days, a conduction chain of solar activity enhancement - sudden changes in the Earth's magnetic field - upper atmospheric disturbances - increased air resistance of low-orbit satellites has destroyed the 40 starlink satellites that have just been launched. At present, their logic is to send it to 210 kilometers high first, and then slowly climb up through ion electric propulsion after debugging, and then the problem will be directly burned into the atmosphere to avoid becoming space junk. As a result, this wave of atmospheric resistance increased obviously exceeded its electric thrusting ability, and it became a fire. Those who do orbit determination of low-orbit satellites must be in awe of atmospheric drag, even if it is only measured in nm/s^2. I once had a high praise answer, about the ESA black technology GOCE satellite, with electric thrust to maintain a 270 km orbit for more than 4 years, it is really incredible. Starlink chooses an altitude of 210 km, the resistance will be much higher than GOCE, can only say that the tip of the knife dance is not so easy, no zuo no die. (Pictured is ESA GOCE)
