Another Starlink satellite has inexplicably exploded

SpaceX says it lost contact with its Starlink satellite after experiencing an “anomaly.” SpaceX didn’t say exactly what happened, but space tracking company Leo Labs says it “immediately detected dozens of objects in the vicinity” of Starlink 34343 after the event.

“The latest analysis shows that the event poses no new risk to @Space_Station, its crew, or to the upcoming launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission.” SpaceX says In a message sent to X. The satellite and its fragments are expected to burn up in the atmosphere within a few weeks. SpaceX says it is working to determine the root cause.

The latest accident occurred at an altitude of about 560 kilometers above the ground Increasingly crowded area Known as low Earth orbit, more than 24,000 objects are currently being tracked, including debris and around 10,000 Starlink satellites.

In January, SpaceX requested FCC approval for “Up to one million satellites“To create orbital data centers. We recently applied for a license from the FCC for up to 1 million artificial intelligence satellites,” said Gwen Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer. recently time Introductory account. “I’m surprised we haven’t gotten more news. I definitely thought it would bring a lot of news.”