[LINK] itN: 'Solar winds take out Starlink satellites'

[Roger Clarke]

> On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 1:24 PM Roger Clarke <Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
> <mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au>> wrote:
> 
>     [ Have there been previous launches into the 550km level, which went as
>     planned?  Was the prompt loss of 40 of a batch of 49 really a once-off
>     bit of bad luck, or an indicator that the environment at that level is
>     simply too hostile for spacecraft to hang around? ]


On 10/2/22 8:37 am, Scott Howard wrote:
> They have just under 2,000 satellites already at/around the 550km level.


That was quick.  The FCC 'approval' to start sending things up to that
level was only in April 2021.

Maybe the report I read wasn't clear enough:
https://www.satellitetoday.com/broadband/2021/04/27/fcc-approves-spacex-request-to-lower-starlinks-altitude/
> The license modification allows SpaceX to *change the altitude* for
2,814 *future* Starlink satellites, from the 1,100-1,300 km range to the
540-570 km range

So did they reposition most of those 2,000, rather than sending up a lot
of payloads to 550m, in the space of only a few months?

I couldn't quickly run to ground (so to speak) the planned life of the
things.  Maybe it's at least a couple of years.  Which would seem to
mean they've got a lot of propellant on board.


-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University