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Is SpaceX propulsively deorbiting a Starlink satellite already?

What are these four “debris” objects along with the Starlink satellites?Would Mayak's large solar reflector have produced a stable attitude, or more likely start tumbling or rotating?What technology will SpaceX's StarLink satellites most likely use for sat-to-sat linking?How are satellites made “demisable” and what else do recent FAA documents tell us about SpaceX's plans for StarLink satellites?How will Starlink satellites be capable of tracking on-orbit debris and autonomously avoiding collision?Why will Starlink satellites use krypton instead of xenon for electric propulsion?How will Starlink satellites deploy from the fairing and reach their orbits?Is the Starlink array really visible from Earth?Delta-V of Starlink SatellitesWhat are these four “debris” objects along with the Starlink satellites?Would SpaceX's Starlink constellation contribute inordinately to space debris?

.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty margin-bottom:0;

8

$begingroup$

The plot below shows that most of the SpaceX Starlink satellites have moved from circa 450 km to circa 550 kilometers already, using their argon-based ion engines.

A few, along with four unidentified debris objects have remained at 450 km.

But one has moved down to 390 km.

Since it's only one object and six have remained around 450 km, it makes me wonder if this is active, propulsive deorbiting, or if this is how fast these big flat satellites would decay without propulsion or attitude control.

Question: Is SpaceX propulsively deorbiting a Starlink satellite already?

plotted using https://pastebin.com/cFLhTJVq From What are these four “debris” objects along with the Starlink satellites?

spacex orbital-maneuver starlink deorbit

share|improve this question

edited Jun 29 at 4:30

uhoh

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

8

$begingroup$

The plot below shows that most of the SpaceX Starlink satellites have moved from circa 450 km to circa 550 kilometers already, using their argon-based ion engines.

A few, along with four unidentified debris objects have remained at 450 km.

But one has moved down to 390 km.

Since it's only one object and six have remained around 450 km, it makes me wonder if this is active, propulsive deorbiting, or if this is how fast these big flat satellites would decay without propulsion or attitude control.

Question: Is SpaceX propulsively deorbiting a Starlink satellite already?

plotted using https://pastebin.com/cFLhTJVq From What are these four “debris” objects along with the Starlink satellites?

spacex orbital-maneuver starlink deorbit

share|improve this question

edited Jun 29 at 4:30

uhoh

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

$endgroup$

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

The plot below shows that most of the SpaceX Starlink satellites have moved from circa 450 km to circa 550 kilometers already, using their argon-based ion engines.

A few, along with four unidentified debris objects have remained at 450 km.

But one has moved down to 390 km.

Since it's only one object and six have remained around 450 km, it makes me wonder if this is active, propulsive deorbiting, or if this is how fast these big flat satellites would decay without propulsion or attitude control.

Question: Is SpaceX propulsively deorbiting a Starlink satellite already?

plotted using https://pastebin.com/cFLhTJVq From What are these four “debris” objects along with the Starlink satellites?

spacex orbital-maneuver starlink deorbit

share|improve this question

edited Jun 29 at 4:30

uhoh

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

edited Jun 29 at 4:30

uhoh

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

share|improve this question

edited Jun 29 at 4:30

uhoh

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

asked Jun 29 at 3:55

uhohuhoh

45.7k2222 gold badges182182 silver badges596596 bronze badges

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

10

$begingroup$

Yes!

The current status (end of June 2019) according to a SpaceX statement via Michael Sheetz
is:

• 45 in final orbits


• 5 still raising, in final orbits shortly


• 5 paused during raise for adjustments, will continue


• 2 intentionally being deorbited to show debris disposal


• 3 stopped communicating, "passively" deorbiting

share|improve this answer

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "show" as in PR or as in "demonstrate a regulatory requirement"?
  $endgroup$
  – Jörg W Mittag
  Jun 29 at 8:05
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @JörgWMittag the original wording seems to be "to simulate an end of life disposal" so I would say "test" instead of "show" but I kept the source tweet.
  $endgroup$
  – jkavalik
  Jun 29 at 8:10
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm wondering why they didn't built in the fail safe that if communication to one of the satellites stop they actively deorbit. That would be good for keeping the crowded region cleaner and they wouldn't have to deorbit functional satellites but rather just get rid of their trash.
  $endgroup$
  – GittingGud
  Jul 1 at 6:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @GittingGud well, probably depends on why they do not communicate - either loss of attitude control or loss of electricity would not allow for any "automatic" actions.
  $endgroup$
  – jkavalik
  Jul 1 at 16:25
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @jkavalik You're right I didn't think about the reason why the lost communication is likely to be misaligned solar panels and loss of electricity.
  $endgroup$
  – GittingGud
  Jul 1 at 16:34
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

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10

$begingroup$

Yes!

The current status (end of June 2019) according to a SpaceX statement via Michael Sheetz
is:

• 45 in final orbits


• 5 still raising, in final orbits shortly


• 5 paused during raise for adjustments, will continue


• 2 intentionally being deorbited to show debris disposal


• 3 stopped communicating, "passively" deorbiting

share|improve this answer

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "show" as in PR or as in "demonstrate a regulatory requirement"?
  $endgroup$
  – Jörg W Mittag
  Jun 29 at 8:05
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @JörgWMittag the original wording seems to be "to simulate an end of life disposal" so I would say "test" instead of "show" but I kept the source tweet.
  $endgroup$
  – jkavalik
  Jun 29 at 8:10
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm wondering why they didn't built in the fail safe that if communication to one of the satellites stop they actively deorbit. That would be good for keeping the crowded region cleaner and they wouldn't have to deorbit functional satellites but rather just get rid of their trash.
  $endgroup$
  – GittingGud
  Jul 1 at 6:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @GittingGud well, probably depends on why they do not communicate - either loss of attitude control or loss of electricity would not allow for any "automatic" actions.
  $endgroup$
  – jkavalik
  Jul 1 at 16:25
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @jkavalik You're right I didn't think about the reason why the lost communication is likely to be misaligned solar panels and loss of electricity.
  $endgroup$
  – GittingGud
  Jul 1 at 16:34
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

10

$begingroup$

Yes!

The current status (end of June 2019) according to a SpaceX statement via Michael Sheetz
is:

• 45 in final orbits


• 5 still raising, in final orbits shortly


• 5 paused during raise for adjustments, will continue


• 2 intentionally being deorbited to show debris disposal


• 3 stopped communicating, "passively" deorbiting

share|improve this answer

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "show" as in PR or as in "demonstrate a regulatory requirement"?
  $endgroup$
  – Jörg W Mittag
  Jun 29 at 8:05
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @JörgWMittag the original wording seems to be "to simulate an end of life disposal" so I would say "test" instead of "show" but I kept the source tweet.
  $endgroup$
  – jkavalik
  Jun 29 at 8:10
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm wondering why they didn't built in the fail safe that if communication to one of the satellites stop they actively deorbit. That would be good for keeping the crowded region cleaner and they wouldn't have to deorbit functional satellites but rather just get rid of their trash.
  $endgroup$
  – GittingGud
  Jul 1 at 6:34
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @GittingGud well, probably depends on why they do not communicate - either loss of attitude control or loss of electricity would not allow for any "automatic" actions.
  $endgroup$
  – jkavalik
  Jul 1 at 16:25
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @jkavalik You're right I didn't think about the reason why the lost communication is likely to be misaligned solar panels and loss of electricity.
  $endgroup$
  – GittingGud
  Jul 1 at 16:34
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 1 more comment

$begingroup$

Yes!

The current status (end of June 2019) according to a SpaceX statement via Michael Sheetz
is:

• 45 in final orbits


• 5 still raising, in final orbits shortly


• 5 paused during raise for adjustments, will continue


• 2 intentionally being deorbited to show debris disposal


• 3 stopped communicating, "passively" deorbiting

share|improve this answer

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges

answered Jun 29 at 6:23

jkavalikjkavalik

4,12711 gold badge1515 silver badges4141 bronze badges