The sun has begun killing off elon musk starlink satelites as scientists sound alarm
Scientists have been warning that the Sun’s current period of heightened activity, known as the solar maximum, is causing some Starlink satellites to fall out of orbit faster than expected. During solar maximum, the Sun produces more solar flares and geomagnetic storms. Those storms heat Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing it to expand outward. When that happens, satellites in low Earth orbit encounter more atmospheric drag, slowing them down and pulling them toward Earth sooner than planned.
Starlink is particularly affected because most of its satellites operate in relatively low orbits. In fact, a 2023 scientific paper examined how a geomagnetic storm contributed to the loss of 39 newly launched Starlink satellites in 2022.
Starlink now has over 10,000 satellites in orbit, and SpaceX plans to deploy many more. Scientists have raised concerns not only about solar storms, but also about space congestion, impacts on astronomy, collision risks, and the environmental effects of large numbers of satellites burning up in the atmosphere.
Human beings often speak about technology as though it exists outside of nature, as though innovation can ultimately transcend natural limits. Yet even one of the most sophisticated technological systems ever built remains subject to forces far beyond human control. The Sun, 150 million kilometers away, can alter the economics and engineering of a global communications network simply by becoming more active.
