Scientists Warn: The Sun Is Starting to Destroy Starlink Satellites

Watch Scientists Warn: The Sun Is Starting to Destroy Starlink Satellites - Rizzle on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00Scientists warn the Sun is starting to destroy Starlink satellites.

00:05The Sun is very active right now, surging toward the peak of Solar Cycle 25.

00:10During these cycles, solar storms happen more regularly and with greater force than usual.

00:15Newly released data indicate these storms are puffing up Earth's upper atmosphere,

00:20creating extra drag on objects such as SpaceX's Starlink satellites, significantly shortening

00:26their expected lifespans.

00:28With over 7,000 satellites in orbit, this is concerning.

00:32NASA scientist Denny Oliveira stated,

00:34We found that when we have geomagnetic storms, satellites re-enter faster than expected.

00:39During this period, a Starlink satellite's lifespan can decrease by up to 10 days.

00:45Already, 523 Starlink satellites have re-entered between 2020 and 2024.

00:51The effects have manifested in two ways, service interruptions and satellite losses.

00:56In early 2022, a geomagnetic storm hit after launch, creating such intense drag that satellites

01:03couldn't reach their orbits and re-entered within days.

01:06While satellites are designed to burn up when re-entering, researchers warn that accelerated

01:11re-entries may result in debris surviving and falling to Earth.

01:14One instance occurred when Starlink debris was found on a Canadian farm.

01:18Current tracking systems developed during calmer solar periods are now inadequate.

01:24The researchers concluded,

01:26We clearly show that the intense solar activity of the current solar cycle

01:30has already had significant impacts on Starlink re-entries.

01:34While SpaceX plans 30,000 satellites, shortened lifespans demand frequent replacements,

01:40challenging Starlink's economic model and posing new challenges amid intense solar activity.

01:46of the comm