2023-10-26 12:43:00
A report released by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States points to the possibility that Starlink satellites located in low Earth orbit are potentially deadly to humans. The document states that the company’s equipment will be responsible for 85% of the risks to people on the ground during reentry.
SpaceX requested that the control body rectify the text correcting the note that cites the possible risk of death regarding the North American giant’s satellites, but the request has not yet been met. The FAA says in its report that the predictions consider the current shape of the satellite constellation and that some fragments may re-enter the atmosphere.
Considering experts’ estimates, it is possible that within 12 years the number of fragmented and dangerous objects in Earth’s orbit will exceed 28 thousand. The number of people on the ground injured or killed due to the fall of these materials would be 0.6 every year, that is, every two years a person must be hit by a piece of a space satellite.
In a statement addressed to the FAA, Elon Musk’s company reinforces its reliability by arguing that the deaths associated with the operation of its satellites are “absurd, unjustified and inaccurate”. Figures show that Starlink has been losing satellites in recent months, but the total number in low orbit still exceeds 5,000.
According to SpaceX, the number of satellites is expected to increase to 40,000 in the coming years. This, evidently, might increase the amount of space debris in the atmosphere, causing concern for international authorities.
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