China's space station and the International Space Station are safer! On January 1st local time, SpaceX announced that it will lower over 9,300 Starlink satellites from 550 km to 480 km within the year. Satellites in the original orbit, due to atmospheric drag and uncontrollable descent, had two abnormal close approaches with China's space station operating at 390-400 km in 2021, forcing an emergency collision avoidance. Although the new orbit is closer to both space stations (International Space Station at 410-420 km), it is easier to control the orbit entry, and faulty satellites will re-enter within weeks, reducing the collision risk, significantly lowering long-term risks, but short-term warning pressures need to be vigilant during the orbit change transition period.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853161311772683/
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