Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network was affected by the strongest solar storm in 20 years.
The strongest geomagnetic storm in the past two decades caused by solar activity caused disruption to the Starlink satellite network of SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by billionaire Elon Musk.
According to an announcement from Starlink on May 11, the company's services may be affected by the effects of the geomagnetic storm. Starlink currently owns and operates about 60% of the total 7,500 satellites operating in Earth orbit, playing a key role in the field of satellite internet.
A large-scale solar storm is disrupting Starlink's satellite network.
This geomagnetic storm was determined by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to be the strongest since October 2003 and is likely to last throughout the weekend. Geomagnetic storms can pose many risks to critical infrastructure systems on Earth, including navigation systems, power grids and satellite navigation.
The Starlink satellite network currently uses laser links between satellites to transmit data to each other in space at the speed of light, allowing the provision of broadband internet services in remote and underserved areas. Limited internet connection. The extent of the impact of geomagnetic storms on Starlink service has not yet been fully assessed. However, users may experience slow internet access speeds or connection interruptions during the storm.
SpaceX said it is closely monitoring the situation and taking measures to minimize the impact of geomagnetic storms on the Starlink network. Users can update the latest information about the service situation on Starlink's official website.
SpaceX has announced its decision to remove 100 first-generation Starlink satellites from orbit due to a potential defect that could lead to their complete failure.
Although these Starlink satellites continue to operate, the company has decided to remove them from orbit due to the risk of further loss of control over them in the event of a complete equipment failure. The company did not specify what type of error it was talking about, only saying “The Starlink team has identified a common problem in this group of small satellites that may increase the likelihood of future failures.”
The vulnerability affects about 100 Starlink satellites.
SpaceX also said that the loss of 100 satellites will not affect the quality of service for Starlink customers because the entire network has more than 5,400 active satellites.
The good news is that the decommissioning of satellites does not pose a threat to the population because they will burn up in the dense layers of the atmosphere during their descent. SpaceX said in a statement that “Starlink satellites can also be completely decommissioned by design, meaning risks to those on the ground, in the air or at sea from a satellite losing orbit almost zero due to satellites burning up during re-entry to Earth from the atmosphere.”
Starlink satellites have a safety mechanism when falling to Earth.
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The company also said the Starlink network is designed to be risk-free in space. All satellites are equipped with “automatic collision avoidance” systems as well as ion engines that allow them to move in Earth orbit. According to calculations, after about 5 years of operation, the Starlink satellite will leave orbit and burn up in the atmosphere, even losing the ability to perform operations.
