40 Starlink satellites will never deliver internet to any s after being hit by a geomagnetic storm and burning up in the Earth's atmosphere. Few often pay much attention to solar flare storms due to the effect they have on Earth not always being so evident, but they do have the potential to be a disruptive force by affecting GPS and satellite communications.
Solar flares are sudden, unexpected, and can vary in intensity, with some solar flares strong enough to eject coronal mass. These coronal mass ejections are massive expulsions of plasma from the Sun's outer layer. Solar flares also increase the solar wind hitting the Earth's atmosphere, generating geomagnetic storms in the process. While Earth's atmosphere protects from most of this solar wind, things in space, especially in low-earth orbit, can malfunction and come crashing down.
SpaceX communicated that a number of its satellites were hit by a solar storm last week. After being launched by a Falcon 9 rocket, 49 Starlink satellites were expected to lower orbit tests before then meeting up with the roughly 2,000-strong Starlink satellite army. During these low-orbit tests, however, the fleet was hit by the geomagnetic storm at 210 kilometers above Earth. In total, only 9 survived, with the other 40 unable to ride out the storm.
Never Underestimate The Power Of A Solar Storm
After being hit by the geomagnetic storm, the Starlink satellites entered a safe mode and began to fly edge-on. This is intended to minimize the drag caused by an atmosphere that becomes denser as it is heated up by the solar storm. The Starlink team ed Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron in charge of tracking space objects, reentries, and space collisions, as well as LeoLabs, an organization dedicated to creating an integral vision of objects in the sky for the satellites and space industry.
SpaceX said that conducting initial testing in these lower orbits allows for more rapid and environmentally safe deorbiting maneuvers, while assuring that its deorbiting satellites pose “zero collision risk with other satellites.” The company also added that the satellites are designed to disintegrate upon atmospheric reentry, explaining that the event won't result in any orbital debris in space or satellite parts hitting the ground.
Even though solar storms are understood to be very difficult to predict and often behave erratically, it is highly unlikely that the SpaceX team was unaware of the solar storm. Alerts are regularly issued by NASA, ESA, and NOAA. While it is possible that Starlink’s command simply underestimated what the geomagnetic storm was capable of, keeping up with what the sun is doing is a must in space.
Source: SpaceX