The growing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit increases the risk of collisions due to solar storms, which can escalate into catastrophic consequences. This is expressed in a material prepared by Princeton University graduate student Sarah Thiele, which was published in Universe Today.<\/p>\n
Currently, the low orbit over the water remains very crowded with satellites, increasing the risk of “close encounters” between them, like a house of cards. For example, the Starlink satellites tend to approach each other infrequently, every 11 minutes, and perform about 41 maneuvers per year to avoid potential collisions.<\/p>\n
During solar storms, situations can arise that increase atmospheric friction and complicate satellite positioning. This, in turn, requires more frequent maneuvers, which can cause navigation systems to turn off and have serious consequences.<\/p>\n
The so-called Kessler syndrome can develop over many years; it describes a scenario in which debris around Earth prevents new satellite launches. For example, even a single day of loss of control can increase the probability of catastrophic collisions by up to 30%, setting in motion a long-term process that threatens the space environment.<\/p>\n
The article states that while solar storms cannot be prevented, constant monitoring and real-time management are essential to prevent disasters. If control is lost, humanity will have only a few days to regain control.<\/p>\n
The Kessler effect, also known as the Kessler-Kur-Pallet syndrome, describes the process in which one event, such as the explosion of a satellite, triggers subsequent collisions among other satellites, disabling them due to the resulting debris. This debris can then collide with different objects, making communication difficult and making some areas of space inaccessible for decades. The concept was proposed in 1978 by NASA expert Don Kessler, but at the time, it was perceived as a problem that would need to be solved in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The growing number of satellites in low-Earth orbit increases the risk of collisions due to solar storms, which can escalate into catastrophic consequences. This is expressed in a material prepared by Princeton University graduate student Sarah Thiele, which was published in Universe Today. Currently, the low orbit over the water remains very crowded with satellites, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21463,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n