Author: Loren Grush
An artistic rendering of the Aeolus satellite that ESA moved on Monday, September 2nd. | Image: ESA
On Monday, a European satellite changed its position in orbit to avoid a potential collision with one of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites — one of 60 probes the company launched in May to beam internet coverage down to Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA), which operates the satellite, performed the maneuver after calculating a higher-than-usual probability that the two satellites might run into each other. SpaceX did not move its satellite, blaming a computer bug that prevented proper communication with ESA.
Maneuvers like this aren’t uncommon. Every now and then, satellite operators will slightly alter a spacecraft’s position if they calculate an uncomfortable chance that their vehicle might hit another vehicle. No one wants a collision,...
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On Monday, a European satellite changed its position in orbit to avoid a potential collision with one of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites — one of 60 probes the company launched in May to beam internet coverage down to Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA), which operates the satellite, performed the maneuver after calculating a higher-than-usual probability that the two satellites might run into each other. SpaceX did not move its satellite, blaming a computer bug that prevented proper communication with ESA.
Maneuvers like this aren’t uncommon. Every now and then, satellite operators will slightly alter a spacecraft’s position if they calculate an uncomfortable chance that their vehicle might hit another vehicle. No one wants a collision,...
Continue reading…
Continue reading...