Starlink satellite sudden accident, currently tumbling in space, previously almost collided with China's space station!

According to Reuters, on December 17, a satellite from SpaceX's "Starlink" program suddenly lost contact at an altitude of 418 kilometers above the Earth and began to spin out of control. According to Starlink's report, the satellite numbered 35956 experienced a propellant tank leak, causing attitude control failure, a sudden drop in altitude by 4 kilometers, and the release of "a small amount" of debris.

SpaceX emphasized that the overall structure of the satellite remains largely intact, and it is expected to re-enter the atmosphere and burn up within a few weeks.

However, Starlink satellites operate in low-Earth orbit below approximately 550 kilometers, an area that is the most densely populated "traffic corridor" for space assets of various countries. If an object tumbles out of control, it not only becomes a potential collision source itself, but the debris it releases could also trigger a chain reaction—known as the Kessler syndrome—where debris collides with each other to produce more debris, eventually making the entire orbit unusable.

Although the amount of debris was described as "small," in an environment where orbital speeds reach up to 7 kilometers per second, even a single screw could be sufficient to penetrate a spacecraft's hull.

In July and October 2021, the Tiangong space station made two emergency orbital maneuvers due to abnormal descent of Starlink satellite orbits and unpredictable trajectories. Subsequently, China submitted an official note, pointing out that one of the involved Starlink satellites was in a "continuous maneuvering" state, which made the avoidance window extremely short and the risk very high.

Although SpaceX has the largest commercial satellite constellation in the world, there are obvious shortcomings in its information sharing and coordination mechanisms with other national space agencies. International space traffic management still lacks enforceable rules, and the rapid expansion of private-sector constellations far exceeds the pace of regulatory system development.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852265604747401/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.