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SpaceX satellites falling out of orbit after solar storm
Spacex’s newest fleet of satellites is tumbling out of orbit after being struck by a solar storm. Up to 40 of the 49 small satellites launched last week have either reentered the atmosphere and burned up, or are on the verge of doing so, the company said in an online update Tuesday night. SpaceX said a geomagnetic storm last Friday made the atmosphere denser, which increased the drag on the Starlink satellites, effectively dooming them. Ground controllers tried to save the compact, flat-panel… (apnews.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Interestingly, you use the term lofted, like throwing a softball up into the air. It always comes back down.
Tks for pointing that out. The term lofted is from the spaceflightnow story.
Some sages from the past figured out the forces of GRAVITY ( gravitas )
Credit to Sir Isaac Newton about year 1687 or so.....
Some sages from the past figured out the forces of GRAVITY ( gravitas )
Credit to Sir Isaac Newton about year 1687 or so.....
One of many similar definitions: "to propel through the air or into space". There is no reason to think something lofted into orbit will come down.
" There is no reason to think something lofted into orbit will come down." - tell that to SkyLab.
“The satellites hit by the solar storm were in a temporary position. SpaceX deliberately launches them into this unusually low orbit so that any duds can quickly reenter the atmosphere and pose no threat to other spacecraft.”
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/15/spacex-releases-new-details-on-starlink-satellite-design/
Each of the Starlink satellites weighs around 500 pounds (227 kilograms), according to SpaceX. Stacked together inside the payload shroud of a Falcon 9 rocket, the 60 satellites weigh 15 tons (13,620 kilograms), making the cargo on Wednesday night’s launch the heaviest ever lofted into orbit by SpaceX