Observers thought they saw a meteorite… it was a Starlink satellite that attempted to cross the atmosphere over Morocco, Spain and near France.
Source: Antonio J. Robles d’Estepa from Seville in Spain
On Sunday January 23, around 11 p.m. local time, a ball of fire was observed in the sky. What Was Taken For A Meteorite Above Spain Is Actually A Satellite Starlink which exploded. As a reminder, the constellation Starlink has 1,800 satellites currently placed in a 550 kilometer orbit to provide internet access across the entire surface of the globe.
The satellite had already been out of orbit for a year
It is the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC) in Spain which has just clarified what happened last night. A Starlink network satellite has exploded in space. What appeared to be a ball of fire was therefore a satellite which broke up on entering the atmosphere at the level of Morocco and Algeria, with a speed of 27,000 km/h… the satellite split and took fire.
The debris probably fell in the Bay of Biscay near France and Spain.
3) BETWEEN CLOUDS THE DETECTION FROM STEPPE, #SEVILLA by Antonio Robles @AJ_Robles it still looks amazing. Note the fragmentation of the #Starlink2200 in 7 or 8 pieces that coincides with the testimonies: https://t.co/CRfB0fblVv
To send/request videos: spmn@ice.csic.es pic.twitter.com/yZL5QoTiTE— Fireballs and Meteorites Research Network (SPMN) (@RedSpmn) January 24, 2022
The satellite has been identified well in advance, it was expected to explode upon entering the atmosphere. SpaceX has not yet communicated on this explosion, the last official communication was related to the sending 49 additional satellites. According to what we have as information, this satellite had left its orbit in January 2021, shortly following its launch, so it took a year for it to attempt a crossing of the atmosphere. Satellites that end their life end up losing altitude very slowly and falling into the atmosphere. They then disintegrate for the most part:the friction with the atmosphere becomes so brutal that the matter becomes incandescent and begins to vaporize, fragment and decompose”.
Starlink is not yet the most stable service if you want an internet connection. However, the internet access service is available in France. With over 1,800 satellites in operation, the loss of a satellite has no impact on service. This constellation of hundreds of satellites makes it possible to adapt to this type of problem.
Meanwhile, Saint-Senier-de-Beuvron bends Starlink
At the beginning of the year, Starlink abandoned the installation of antennas in France. Indeed, faced with the opposition of residents and elected officials, a first project planned for Saint-Senier-de-Beuvron, in the Manche department and a few kilometers from Mont Saint-Michel has just been abandoned. This first failure is not the only one since that of Gravelines, in the North, has also just been abandoned by the company. There is an active site, that of Villenave-d’Ornon, in Gironde.
The dream of being able to access the Internet wherever you are might become a reality sooner than you think. The Starlink satellite internet offer is available in France. But how does this…
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