OneWeb and SpaceX, the headquarters of the satellite internet industry, had a dangerous close meeting last weekend, which came out of this world.
Two satellites from each company reached a distance of 190 meters from each other in orbit April 4, which triggered several “red alerts” from the 18th space control squadron of the US Space Force, reports The Virgin.
The tight call was due to the recent launch of OneWeb on March 30, which sent 36 satellites into orbit and had to go through a sea of Starlinks to reach its targeted orbit.
This is the first known collision avoidance event since technology companies began populating the space with internet transmissions – and some might suggest it won’t be the last.
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OneWeb and SpaceX (pictured), the centers of the satellite internet industry, had a dangerous close meeting last weekend, which left this world
The event was taken over by the Space Force, which alerted OneWeb as soon as red alerts appeared.
The US government agency established that the probability of the two satellites colliding was 1.3% and, if it had hit, it would have added hundreds of other unwanted spaces in orbit.
Millions of pieces of debris throw up space and can travel as fast as a fast bullet, which can destroy satellites, telescopes, spacecraft – and a NASA scientist fears it could eventually create Kessler syndrome.
This theoretical scenario was proposed by NASA scientist Donald Kessler in 1978, who says that the density of objects in low Earth orbit could increase to a point where collisions occur that generate more space debris to the point where it is dangerous. for humans to venture the planet.
Two satellites from each company reached a distance of 190 meters from each other in orbit on April 4, which triggered several “red alerts” from the 18th Space Control Squadron of the US Space Force. Pictured is a OneWeb satellite
Experts have suggested ways to limit the number of satellites in orbit, but no official limit has been set by regulators.
And also, there are no warranties for companies to ensure that their devices do not meet another.
When the Space Force notified OneWeb of its satellite sneaking into Starlink, the company quickly emailed the SpaceX Starlink in hopes of moving the satellites to a safe distance from each other.
SpaceX has disabled its AI-powered collision avoidance system, allowing OneWeb to direct its satellite out of the way, OneWeb’s head of government business Chris McLaughlin told The Verge.
The close call was due to the recent launch of OneWeb (pictured) on March 30, which sent 36 satellites into orbit and had to go through a Starlink sea to reach its targeted orbit.
OneWeb has 146 satellites in orbit, while SpaceX has 1,378 stellar links – and the company owned by Elon Musk has been set on fire to flood the skies.
Communications company Viasat asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites in December, claiming that the constellation poses a danger to the environment.
The document mentions a number of grievances, including the failure rate of SpaceX satellites in orbiting devices and the risk of re-entry pollution.
OneWeb has 146 satellites in orbit, while SpaceX has 1,378 stellar links (pictured) – and Elon Musk-owned company went on fire to flood the skies
However, Musk caught the petition and did what most billionaires do – he took it to Twitter.
Musk tweeted on his page, saying “Starlink” is a danger “for Viasat’s profits, more than this.”
John Janka, Viasat’s chief global and regulatory affairs officer, told DailyMail.com: “There have been strong concerns this summer from a large number of industry players about satellite orbital debris, space security and interference issues.
“It’s not just SpaceX, these concerns are related to mega constellations in general – anyone is proposing to send thousands and tens of thousands of satellites into orbit.”
Another section of the Viasat petition states that “The system proposed by SpaceX raises significant issues regarding orbital safety”.
Musk’s company plans to launch into the last 10,000 new Starlink satellites in the next 15 years, which, according to Viasat, would densely populate Earth’s orbit.
“It’s about the number of satellites launched since the space age in the 1950s,” Janka said.
“When someone talks about this with so many satellites over the next 15 years, then there are reasons to raise concerns with the FCC.”