Geomagnetic Solar Storm Wipes Out 40 SpaceX Satellites and The | G3 News

Geomagnetic Solar Storm Wipes Out 40 SpaceX Satellites and They’re Now Tumbling Toward Earth

@G3News: Elon Musk's SpaceX says its newest fleet of satellites is tumbling out of orbit after being struck by a solar storm, describing the loss as a “unique situation."

Up to 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites launched last week have already burned up reentering the atmosphere or are on the verge of doing so, the company said in an online update Tuesday (Feb. 8) night.

SpaceX said a geomagnetic storm last Friday (Feb. 4) made the atmosphere denser, which increased the drag on the Starlink satellites, effectively dooming them.

Such geomagnetic storms are caused by intense solar activity like flares, which can send streams of plasma from the sun's corona hurtling out into space and toward Earth.
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