A surge in solar storms is shaking up our night sky, causing Starlink internet satellites to drop out of orbit sooner than planned, and raising big questions about the future of space traffic.
Catch up on the key points in our 1-minute read:
- Increased solar activity is making Earth’s atmosphere expand, dragging Starlink satellites down faster
- The current solar cycle is more intense than previous ones, accelerating satellite reentries
- Researchers found it’s now harder to predict when and where satellites will fall during solar storms
- This poses new challenges for satellite operators and adds to concerns about space junk
- The study highlights an unprecedented era of both satellite launches and solar activity
Find out more about how solar storms are changing the future of satellites our full story Solar storms are causing Elon Musk's Starlink satellites to fall from the sky faster than expected
