OneWeb and SpaceX, the headquarters of the Internet satellite industry, had a dangerously close meeting last weekend that was out of this world.
Two satellites from each company reached a distance of 190 feet from each other in orbit on April 4, prompting several “red alerts” from the 18th Space Force Squadron. United States, according to The Verge.
The narrow call was due to the recent launch of OneWeb on March 30, which sent 36 satellites into orbit and had to go through a sea of Starlinks to hit its target orbit.
This is the first known collision avoidance event since tech companies began filling the space with internet streaming devices, and some may suggest it won’t be the last.
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OneWeb and SpaceX (pictured), the headquarters of the satellite Internet industry, had a dangerously close meeting last weekend that was out of this world
The event was picked up by Space Force, which alerted OneWeb as soon as the red alerts arrived.
The U.S. government agency determined that the probability of the two satellites colliding was 1.3%, and if they had hit, it would have added hundreds more pieces of space into orbit.
Millions of pieces of debris spill into space and can travel as fast as a bullet at full speed, which can destroy satellites, telescopes, spacecraft, and a NASA scientist fears they may eventually create Kessler syndrome.
This theoretical scenario was proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, who says that the density of objects in low orbit around the Earth could increase to a point where collisions occur that generate more space debris to the point. that it is dangerous for humans to venture planet.
Two satellites from each company reached a distance of 190 feet from each other in orbit on April 4, prompting several “red alerts” from the 18th Space Control Squadron of the Space Force. United States. The image shows a OneWeb satellite
Experts have suggested ways to limit the number of satellites in orbit, but regulators have not set any official limits.
Nor is there any guarantee for companies to ensure that their devices do not meet another.
When Space Force notified OneWeb that its satellite was heading for a Starlink, the company quickly emailed SpaceX’s Starlink in hopes of moving satellites at a safe distance. of each other.
SpaceX deactivated its AI-powered collision avoidance system, which allowed OneWeb to get its satellite out of the way, OneWeb head of government affairs Chris McLaughlin told The Verge.
The narrow call was due to the recent launch of OneWeb (pictured) on March 30, which sent 36 satellites into orbit and had to go through a sea of Starlinks to hit its target orbit.
OneWeb has 146 satellites in orbit, while SpaceX has 1,378 Starlinks, and the company that owns Elon Musk has been the object of fire to flood the sky.
Communications company Viasat asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate SpaceX’s Internet Starlink satellites in December, alleging that the constellation poses environmental hazards.
The paper cites a number of grievances, including the failure rate of SpaceX satellites on devices that collide in orbit and the risks of re-entry contamination.
OneWeb has 146 satellites in orbit, while SpaceX has 1,378 Starlinks (pictured), and Elon Musk’s proprietary firm has been on fire to flood the sky.
However, Musk noticed the request and did what most billionaires do: he took to Twitter.
Musk shared a tweet on his page where he said, “Starlink” poses a danger “for the benefit of Viasat, more or less.”
John Janka, general manager of government affairs and regulation at Viasat, told DailyMail.com: “This summer there has been a strong concern among a large number of industry players about satellite orbital debris. space security and interference issues ”.
“It’s not just SpaceX, these concerns relate to mega constellations in general: anyone proposing to send thousands and tens of thousands of satellites into orbit.”
Another section of Viasat’s petition states that “the system proposed by SpaceX poses significant problems in terms of orbital security.”
Musk’s company plans to launch 10,000 new Starlink satellites into orbit over the next 15 years, which, according to Viasat, would densely populate Earth’s orbit.
“That’s roughly the number of satellites launched since the space age in the 1950s,” Janka said.
“When someone is talking about doing so with so many satellites in the next 15 years, there are reasons to raise concerns with the FCC.”