NASA’s findings suggest these incidents could become more common during the ongoing solar maximum, the peak of the Sun’s 11-year activity cycle.
While Starlink satellites are designed to burn up harmlessly upon reentry, NASA scientists warn that quicker and uncontrolled descents could increase the risk of space debris reaching Earth.
With tens of thousands of satellites expected to launch in the coming years, monitoring and mitigating these risks will become even more critical.
For more on the study, see the full report on arXiv.
