That’s not to say that SpaceX can’t find the satellites — the company knows where they are, but they are lost to it in that they cannot be used or retrieved. Instead, they will (or already have) re-enter the atmosphere and fall apart.
SpaceX lost how many satellites in a geomagnetic storm?
Answer: 40.
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SpaceX launched another batch of satellites to add to its Starlink network last week, but unfortunately, most of them won’t be making it to their destination. Due to a geomagnetic storm, caused by solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field, 40 of the satellites (80 percent of the entire payload) are now lost.
That’s not to say that SpaceX can’t find the satellites — the company knows where they are, but they are lost to it in that they cannot be used or retrieved. Instead, they will (or already have) re-enter the atmosphere and fall apart.
Fortunately, there’s no need for us earthlings to worry about being hit by a stray satellite part. At 573 pounds each, these satellites aren’t all that big as far as space-bound equipment goes. Additionally, they are designed to fall apart completely when they fall through the atmosphere, so as to leave no parts behind.
That’s not to say that SpaceX can’t find the satellites — the company knows where they are, but they are lost to it in that they cannot be used or retrieved. Instead, they will (or already have) re-enter the atmosphere and fall apart.
