Dozens of Starlink Satellites Hit By Geostorm, Expected to Fall Toward Earth

The satellites were launched last week and most are expected to burn up on re-entry.

Jeremy Kariuki

Wednesday, February 09, 2022 at 01:52 PM ET

Verified

The satellites affected are not expected to reach the Earth's surface. [Illustration Courtesy: NASA

Key Takeaways:

Up to 40 recently launched SpaceX Starlink satellites were hit by a geomagnetic storm, causing increased atmospheric drag.
The geomagnetic storm dramatically reduced the satellites' ability to sustain orbital speeds, leading to their expected re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.
The affected satellites are designed to completely burn up upon re-entry, posing no collision risk to other spacecraft or debris on the ground.
SpaceX intentionally deploys satellites into lower orbits to ensure rapid deorbiting in case of issues, prioritizing a sustainable space environment and debris mitigation.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Late Tuesday night, Elon Musk’s SpaceX reported that up to 40 of its Starlink satellites, launched last week, were hit by a geomagnetic storm and are expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere.

SpaceX launched 49 Starlink satellites on February 3, using a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellites reached their targeted orbit and achieved controlled flight.