Posted on 02/09/2022 6:00:56 AM PST by Enlightened1
SpaceX has lost dozens of satellites after they were hit by a geomagnetic storm a day after launch, causing them to fall from orbit and burn up.
Such solar "storms" are caused by powerful explosions on the sun's surface, which spit out plasma and magnetic fields that can hit the Earth.
The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said up to 40 of 49 satellites from last week's launch were hit.
They had been due to join its Starlink satellite internet project.
Starlink is Mr Musk's bid to provide high-speed internet using thousands of orbiting satellites. The system is relatively expensive, but can be used in places where wired connections cannot.
The latest 49 satellites were deployed about 210km (130 miles) above the Earth's surface. SpaceX said "each satellite achieved controlled flight" after being sent up on 3 February.
However, a day later, the geomagnetic storm hit the Earth. It is the same kind of mechanism that creates aurorae like the Northern Lights, but it can have dangerous effects too.
This storm warmed up the atmosphere and made it much more dense than expected.
"Onboard GPS suggests the escalation speed and severity of the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase up to 50% higher than during previous launches," SpaceX said.
SpaceX tried to put the satellites into a "safe mode", turning them to fly edge-on to minimise drag.
The drag was strong enough to stop the satellites ever getting out of that "safe mode" and back into the orbit they needed to reach to be stable. Instead, "up to 40" will fall back into the Earth's atmosphere and burn up.
Jacob Geer, the UK Space Agency's Head of Space Surveillance, said he does not expect "any part" of the satellites to hit the ground.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Gee, imagine that..........................
Wow. We’ll see how they react. A learning lesson - although one might argue this aspect should have been better understood first. Easy to say...
I am unclear on the physics of this. I thought warming a gas would make it less dense, not more.
This storm warmed up the atmosphere and made it much more dense than expected.
I am unclear on the physics of this. I thought warming a gas would make it less dense, not more.
It does perfectly explain the sun’s atmospheric warming effect, now called “Global Warming”
If the gas is contained, warming the gas makes it more dense. If it the gas is uncontained, warming the gas makes it temporarily more dense in that area until it's had time to disperse (release the pressure) at which point it'll be less dense than cooler gas.
If it is in a partial container that prevents escape from the top but allows escape from the bottom (like a hot air balloon) then the end result is the air that stays inside the container is hotter and less dense than the cool air outside the container (why a hot air balloon rises). But that's only because escape is controlled by direction (escape through only the bottom) to allow the pressure to release but keep the warmest air (prone to be less dense if it's allowed to spread) inside the balloon.
HONEY_I_DESTROYED_THE_SATELLITE_CONSTELLATION_PING
This storm warmed up the atmosphere and made it much more dense
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And all balloons fell to the ground ?
Cuz hot air is now more, not less, dense ?
I understand this, but atmospheric gases are ultimately not contained. My guess. The particles of the solar storm itself must have increased the gaseous density impinging on the satellites, thus increasing drag. Like being hit with a blast of frozen rain while walking or driving. You can definitely feel the pressure.
If the gas is contained, warming the gas makes it more dense.
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dense
/dens/
Learn to pronounce
adjective
1.
closely compacted in substance
.
/
Heating gas particles makes them expand not compact.
This must be more modern education I don’t understand.
Warming causes it to expand so there’s more drag at higher altitude.
Or the CCP took them out because they don’t want to lose their firewall?
I agree that heating a gas makes it expand, but that effect isn’t instantaneous. The reason heated gas expands is because pressure is built up at that moment, it’s that pressure that causes the expansion. During the brief period between heating the gas and expansion there is pressure that can be a serious issue if we’re talking about rapid heating of the gas.
Expansion because of warming. So more atmo at that altitude to create drag.
It’s why tires pressure should usually be measured cold (ambient).
Musk has tons more ,LOL
I am sorry to read about the loss...but....this should have been anticipated. Solar storms happen.
Yes, caught that as well. The root of climate change, made bare and man has had nothing to do with it.
I believe the solar storm warmed the atmosphere, causing it to expand. This increased the density - and thus the drag - at higher altitudes, thereby causing orbital decay to be more rapid.
I think the wording of the article is a little misleading (big surprise these days). The warming effect makes the gases of the atmosphere less dense because they expand - more energy causing the atoms and molecules to bounce around more.
That expansion means the upper edges of the atmosphere increase in altitude. Or, at a given altitude - say the initial orbit of the satellites - there are more gasses that have come up and are inducing drag.
Apparently enough extra drag the ion thrusters on the satellites will not be able to overcome it.
Wow. Lots of freepers think they are entitled to be intelligent. The story makes perfect sense, unless you are at a sixth grade science level.
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