Daniel FischerA #Starlink satellite has exploded, kind of: according to https://nitter.net/LeoLabs_Space/status/2038680177408880719 a radar network has "detected tens of objects in the vicinity of the satellite after the event, with a first pass over our radar site in the Azores, Portugal. Additional fragments may have been produced — analysis is ongoing. We've characterized this event as likely caused by an internal energetic source rather than a collision with space debris or another object. Due to the low altitude of the event, fragments from this anomaly will likely de-orbit within a few weeks".
What the company had to say - https://nitter.net/Starlink/status/2038635185118588973 - about the #Starlink satellite incident: "On Sunday, March 29, Starlink satellite 34343 experienced an anomaly on-orbit, resulting in loss of communications with the satellite at ~560 km above Earth.
Latest analysis shows the event poses no new risk to the @Space_Station, its crew, or to the upcoming launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission. We will continue to monitor the satellite along with any trackable debris and coordinate with @NASA and the @USSpaceForce.
The event also posed no new risk to this morning’s Transporter-16 mission, which was designed to avoid Starlink with payload deploys well above or well below the constellation. The SpaceX and Starlink teams are actively working to determine root cause and will rapidly implement any necessary corrective actions."
David Croyle
Weird Socks