2023-09-30 08:45:00
Since this summer, an enigma has intrigued astronomy enthusiasts. More than 200 satellites from the company Starlink, which offers an internet connection from space, have disappeared. There are many possible explanations, but the company remains silent.
The mystery of the missing Starlink satellites was raised by amateurs who follow direct the journey of these American devices. A real-time map allows you to observe their trajectories.
Two main hypotheses are put forward to explain their disappearance: a design flaw or the impact of solar storms. The latter can affect the electronic systems of satellites or cause them to slow down, which drags them irretrievably towards Earth. Without risk, according to specialists, because upon entering the atmosphere, these small devices burn and evaporate completely.
However, problems remain. The Starlink satellites sit above the International Space Station. “This means that there are regularly broken satellites which are out of control, which cross the orbits where the International Space Station is located and around which the station must maneuver”, points out Luc Piguet, co-founder of ClearSpacewhich should be the first device to recover space waste.
Disposable satellites
Additionally, the high number of Starlink satellites in orbit might pose problems. Before Starlink, large constellations included fewer than 100 satellites. Today, Elon Musk’s company has more than 4,000 devices in orbit. This over-representation of satellites might generate implications that we are not yet able to measure.
Another surprise concerns the lifespan of these satellites, which is only 5 years. “As technology evolves extremely quickly, it is interesting to be able to replace a satellite in orbit following 5 to 7 years, when the technology is almost obsolete,” said Fabien Jordan, founder ofAstrocast.
The Vaud company, specializing in the Internet of Things, has around twenty satellites, the third largest European constellation. Its first device at the end of its life should be burned in the atmosphere within 5 months.
Pascal Wassmer
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