Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

SpaceX: Space storm destroys 40 of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites

SpaceX: Space storm destroys 40 of Elon Musk's Starlink satellites

The vast majority of satellites launched last week will fall back to Earth and burn up rather than go into orbit, SpaceX says - "at a considerable cost to us".

SpaceX has confirmed that a geomagnetic storm destroyed most of the Starlink satellites it launched last Friday.

Elon Musk's company said that 40 of its 49 satellites were going to fall back to Earth - though they are designed to burn up on re-entry - after a space storm "significantly impacted" them.

They were part of a planned satellite constellation that is intended to eventually provide constant internet coverage for most of the world.

Starlink's satellites have been accused of 'ruining the night sky' for astronomers


What is Starlink?


The Starlink project is intended to provide broadband-speed internet access across the planet and generate cash for Musk's other space ambitions.

Musk said: "We think this is a key stepping stone on the way towards establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars and a base on the moon."

The company has already launched 2,000 satellites and has permission from the US authorities to send up 12,000 in total.

But critics fear that the fleet of satellites will ruin the night sky for astronomers attempting to observe distant parts of the universe.

SpaceX says it is darkening its satellites with a software upgrade so they will fly with their "knife edge" to the sun to minimise reflections.

Elon Musk plans to use the money from Starlink to fund missions to Mars


What happened?


The storm, which was caused by solar activity, made the Earth's atmosphere warm and expand.

This is not in itself unusual, and the impact of a geomagnetic storm on de-orbiting spacecraft has also been cited as a concern by NASA in its plan to crash the International Space Station into a "spacecraft cemetery" when it is finally retired.

The denser atmosphere at the initial orbital altitude for the satellites caused atmospheric drag to increase up to 50% higher than SpaceX had seen in previous launches, the company said.

Ultimately this means that "up to 40 of the satellites will re-enter or already have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere", it said.

The satellites posed no risk to Earth, the company added.

"The de-orbiting satellites pose zero collision risk with other satellites and by design demise upon atmospheric re-entry - meaning no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts hit the ground."

The company said that it deployed its satellites into lower orbits "so that in the very rare case any satellite does not pass initial system checkouts it will quickly be de-orbited by atmospheric drag".

"While the low deployment altitude requires more capable satellites at a considerable cost to us, it’s the right thing to do to maintain a sustainable space environment," it added.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×