MacLeech
Starlink satellite counts
Wow, over a thousand Starlink satellites have reentered and burned up already!
The recent increase in Solar activity has only accelerated that up a bit:
Starlink satellites fall to Earth faster during increased solar activity, study finds
By Bob Yirka, Phys.org - June 9, 2025
https://phys.org/news/2025-06-starlink-satellites-fall-earth-faster.html
… Looking at their data, the research team found that as geomagnetic activity increased, Starlink satellites tended to reenter the atmosphere sooner than they would have during quieter periods. Such satellites are designed to stay in orbit for about five years, but the study found that during periods of intense geomagnetic storms, the final descent phase—from a reference altitude of about 280 km to atmospheric reentry—was shortened by 10 to 12 days compared to quieter times.
The research team suggests that increased heat in the atmosphere due to an increase in geomagnetic activity leads to more drag on the satellites, which leads them to lose altitude. They also suggest the same drag could result in more collisions between the satellites that make up constellations that are deployed. ….
