SpaceX Loses 40 Starlink Satellites to "Geomagnetic Storm"!

SpaceX Starlink Satellites broadcasting internet down to Earth. Source: Space.com (Creative Commons License).

Space business is risky, and no other company is more qualified than SpaceX to tell you. Despite putting thousands of Starlink satellites in orbit already, the last batch of Starlink satellites the company launched went sideways, with most of the satellites failing to reach proper orbit. 

What happened to the launch, and what is the fate of the failed satellites? Keep reading this article to find out.

The Botched Starlink Satellite Launch

It was supposed to be another routine launch to low orbit for the veteran space company earlier this month. SpaceX had stacked another 49 Starlink satellites destined for space on its Falcon 9 workhorse rocket. Each Starlink satellite is 10.5 x 5 ft (3.2 x 1.5 meters) and weighs 575 lbs. (260 kg).

One of the failed satellites has reportedly re-entered the atmosphere over the Caribbean, as shown by a video from a sky monitoring camera in Puerto Rico.

However, the payload would fall victim to an alleged "geomagnetic storm." This is a disturbance in the earth's magnetic field caused by activity on the sun called solar flares. 

They make charged solar particles speed through space in the direction of the earth. This movement leads to a magnetic storm. 

While this storm is responsible for spectacular events like the auroras or northern lights, they can spell disaster for low-orbiting satellites. The satellites will be caught in an increased atmospheric drag during the geomagnetic storm.

SpaceX tried to remedy the situation by making the satellites fly edge-on in "safe-mode" to reduce the drag, but it wasn't successful. As a result, 40 out of the 49 satellites failed to reach orbit when they could not leave safe-mode to perform orbit-raising maneuvers.

View from Earth of SpaceX Starlink Satellites. Source: Star Walk (Creative Commons License). 

With thousands of Starlink satellites already in space, a lot of 40 does not doom the project. However, the bad news is that geomagnetic storms may occur more frequently over the next few years. SpaceX will have to account for this as it plans to launch much more Starlink satellites to orbit to cover the whole earth with its satellite internet service.

What Will Happen to the Failed Starlink Satellites?

One of the failed satellites has reportedly re-entered the atmosphere over the Caribbean, as shown by a video from a sky monitoring camera in Puerto Rico. The video shows an object disintegrating, which is typical for space debris.

Using satellite tracking technologies, experts have agreed that the debris was likely from the Starlink satellites. More satellites might stage a similar return, but there is no way to determine accurately where they will land.

Most space debris will burn in the atmosphere, but larger pieces can fall to the earth, where they may cause environmental pollution.