DIGIVESTASI - Twenty Starlink satellites caught fire in the atmosphere after their launch last week. The cause of these fires is still unknown, and experts are investigating the incident.

SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket on July 11, 2024, one day late from the original schedule. The launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States.

The launch was initially successful, including a phase where the rocket separated from the second stage that loaded the satellite. However, the second stage failed in the combustion process due to a liquid oxygen leak.

According to a Live Science report, the rocket's second stage still managed to release its payload, but the satellites were stuck in an orbit with an altitude of 135 kilometers, which is half their operational altitude.

At this altitude, the atmosphere slows down the satellites, resulting in a 5-kilometer drop. SpaceX representatives confirmed that they were unable to get the satellites into proper orbit and that all satellites were doomed to fall into Earth's atmosphere.

“At this level of drag, our maximum thrust does not appear to be sufficient to get the satellite into its intended orbit,” a SpaceX representative said in a statement on Wednesday (17/7/2024).

SpaceX emphasized that this incident will not affect other satellites in orbit. To date, there have been no reports of debris falling to the Earth's surface.

Meanwhile, Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist from Harvard University, revealed that all 20 satellites burned up on July 12, 2024. Further investigation by SpaceX is still ongoing, and the next Falcon 9 rocket launch has been postponed until the investigation is complete.

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