updates
Geomagnetic storm downs freshly deployed Starlinks
On February 8, 2022, SpaceX said up to 40 of 49 Starlink satellites launched on February 3 would reenter after a storm raised drag by as much as 50 percent.
Topics: space-civilization
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
Falcon 9 launched 49 Starlink satellites at 1:13 p.m. EST on February 3, 2022, from Kennedy LC-39A. They were released into a perigee of about 210 kilometers and each one achieved controlled flight. SpaceX uses that low orbit so a satellite that fails checkout decays quickly. A geomagnetic storm the next day warmed the atmosphere. Onboard GPS, the company said, showed drag up to 50 percent higher than on earlier launches. The satellites were commanded to fly edge-on. They could not leave that safe mode to start raising their orbits. Up to 40 would reenter or had already reentered. SpaceX said the decaying satellites were not a collision risk to other spacecraft and are designed to burn up, leaving no debris and no parts on the ground. The 18th Space Control Squadron and LeoLabs were the outside parties SpaceX said it was updating.
A later sustainability post counts 38 satellites from this launch as prematurely deorbited. “Up to 40” is the figure in this note; 38 is the later company figure. Both are SpaceX’s.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Launch February 3, 2022, 1:13 p.m. EST, 49 satellites, perigee about 210 km | Company mission report |
| Drag described as up to 50 percent above prior launches | Company onboard measurement |
| Up to 40 satellites expected to reenter | Company preliminary count |
Why it matters
The low deployment orbit is the safety choice Starlink cites again after the July 2024 upper-stage failure. This storm is the clearest example in the archive of that choice costing a batch of satellites.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, February 8, 2022 — Grade A, company post
- Launch page linked from the post — Grade A, company mission page
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