“Dangerously Close”: Starlink Satellite Allegedly Narrowly Avoids Collision
A few days ago, a newly launched satellite narrowly missed a Starlink satellite. SpaceX is therefore issuing general criticism.
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A few days ago, one of the new satellites launched by China narrowly missed a Starlink satellite in Earth orbit. At least, that's what Michael Nicolls, who is responsible for Starlink technology at SpaceX, claims. According to him, to his knowledge, there was no coordination between CAS Space, the aerospace company responsible for the rocket, and satellite operators before the close approach at an altitude of 560 km, which occurred at a distance of 200 m. CAS Space has since denied responsibility, stating that they adhered to the prescribed procedure during the launch. The near miss, they claim, only occurred when the unnamed satellite operator was already responsible for the object.
Last week, CAS Space launched six satellites into space with a Kinetica-1 rocket: one from Nepal, one from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and six from China. It is not known which of these was responsible for the risky approach. The aerospace company has only assured that they are in contact with SpaceX. All rocket launches, they stated, are scheduled in advance to avoid collisions with satellites or space debris, as required. CAS Space later added that the flyby likely did not occur during the launch phase, for which the rocket operator is responsible.
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While 200 m may sound like sufficient distance, given the enormous speeds of satellites, even small deviations in orbit and inaccuracies in orbital data can lead to objects colliding. SpaceX therefore emphasizes the importance of coordinating space activities. At the same time, SpaceX is also primarily responsible for the rapid increase in the number of satellites in Earth orbit. The company founded by Elon Musk now operates over 9200 active Starlink satellites. This also increases the risk of collisions with potentially dramatic consequences. Due to the high speeds, many debris would be generated, which can hit other satellites.
(mho)
