The return of SpaceX’s Starlink-2200 satellite to Earth was the phenomenon seen Sunday night in the sky of Trás-os-Montes, a researcher from the Astrophysical Institute revealed this Monday, adding that the phenomenon does not represent a danger to the planet.
In Lusa’s remarks, researcher Nuno Peixinho, of the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA), explained that the phenomenon, shared by people on social media, “led to believe it wasn’t a meteor, but a re-entry into the atmosphere for some space junk.” “.
‼️ Last minute ☄️
We receive records and reports of something that tore the sky a moment ago in the North region, and now with video:
Jemond, # Bragança.
© ️ Claudio Alves pic.twitter.com/p5w2QR10EP– Meteo Trás-os-Montes – Portugal (MeteoTrasMontPT) Jan 23 2022
“And so it was. Indeed, it was SpaceX’s Starlink-2200 satellite and it was expected to fall. Almost every day, one or more satellites enter low-atmospheric orbit. This time, we were lucky to see it”, .
According to Nuno Bixenio, re-entry of space waste to Earth “has no danger”, even if it is done quickly to “scrape” the atmosphere.
He explained that “a satellite orbiting the Earth returns at a speed of about 10 kilometers per second.”
Besides the phenomenon seen at 22:00 from several locations in the Os Montes Terrace, two other space objects returned at dawn on Sunday, “one in the equator region and the other north.”
“Everything is programmed so that these satellites evaporate on return, that is, nothing reaches the Earth. Aerodynamic pressure so that compressed air rises to more than 20 thousand degrees of temperature. At this temperature, the body heats up and evaporates, “ This also happens with shooting stars and space junk, he said, explaining.
Although this “small space junk” is not a danger to Earth, it is to “space itself”, that is, to astronauts, to the International Space Station, but also to Earth-orbiting equipment.
“In 2020 alone, the International Space Station had to do three maneuvers to avoid space junk that it knew was going to pass by,” he said.
in Lusa, Space debris is one of the “challenges” for astrophysics, Nuno Bixinho said, noting that several countries, such as Portugal, are investing and making “increasing efforts” to detect it.
Besides space junk, the researcher stressed that low-orbit satellites also pose a challenge to the study of space, arguing that it is necessary to “find a balance”.
‼️ Last minute ☄️
We’re receiving records and reports of something that tore up the sky a moment ago in the North District.
Jemond, # Bragança.
© ️ Claudio Alves pic.twitter.com/yEtGTV0KBH– Meteo Trás-os-Montes – Portugal (MeteoTrasMontPT) Jan 23 2022
The head of the Portuguese Space Agency (AEP), Ricardo Conde, was contacted by Lusa, he said so This space phenomenon was not an “isolated case” as two other satellites disintegrated several thousand kilometers above the Arabian Sea and the Sea of Korea.
“All of this is something we will see more often because there is a new race into space looking for new services and because many constellations with thousands of satellites are being launched into space. [visualizações] It was re-entered into the atmosphere of the SpaceX satellites,” the AEP expert said.
According to Ricardo Conde, the satellites of SpaceX’s Starlink network orbit at an altitude of between 500 and 550 kilometers and travel around the Earth in less than 80 minutes.
meteor? space waste? ☄️
More photos were taken by our followers of the object that entered the atmosphere around 22:00.
Bimbosta, Makadoro
© ️Hugo Carla Carpinteiro pic.twitter.com/GH3BF1lwbU– Meteo Trás-os-Montes – Portugal (MeteoTrasMontPT) Jan 23 2022
“There’s a generation of satellites that I think were launched in 2019, some are re-entering the atmosphere. These re-entry are tests and they’re purposeful. I’d even say they’re controlled. They’re in the atmosphere so we’re not doing that,” he stressed, stressing the continued increase space junk.
Ricardo Conde also explains that when a satellite begins to enter a low orbit, about 200 kilometers away, it reaches a “very high” speed, with atmospheric friction causing it to ignite and disintegrate.
He stressed that “all this is good news because garbage is being removed from space.”
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