HIGHLIGHTS 

SpaceX launched 49 satellites into orbit on February 3rd.

Of those, 40 are thought to have been harmed.

Up to 12,000 satellites will be launched into low-Earth orbit by SpaceX.

WHY IN NEWS 

Elon Musk's ambitious plan to bring low-latency broadband Internet access to rural locations across the world through a constellation of tiny satellites in low-Earth orbit was recently dealt a costly setback, but there was nothing Musk or SpaceX could do about it. On February 3, SpaceX sent 49 satellites into orbit, but roughly 40 of them were damaged by a geomagnetic storm. The storm generated 'up to 50% more drag than prior launches,' preventing the deployed satellites from reaching their normal orbit above the Earth, according to SpaceX. Starlink tried to fly the satellites 'edge-on (like a sheet of paper)' to save drag, but it's now looking like 'up to 40 of the satellites will reenter or have already reentered the Earth's atmosphere' instead of reaching their destinations, according to SpaceX. However, the Musk-owned aerospace business declared that there appeared to be 'zero chance' of these satellites colliding with others. It further stated that their satellites would 'death upon atmospheric reentry,' implying that no trash would be formed and no satellite components would collide with the Earth.

ALSO READ : Google Chrome for Pc now has a Voyage feature that allows you to resume previous searches.

 SpaceX intends to launch up to 12,000 satellites into low-Earth orbit to complete the Starlink constellation. It recently exceeded the 2,000-satellite goal. As a result, losing 40 satellites may not have a significant impact on its goals. Even so, this is the equivalent of losing a whole launch capacity. Solar disturbances warm rocket atmosphere, increasing air density near low deployment altitudes, according to SpaceX. According to SpaceX, a geomagnetic storm on Friday, February 4, had a significant influence on the satellites that were launched on Thursday. Starlink, undeterred by the loss of satellites, is expected to launch more in the next weeks and months in order to meet the 12,000 mini-satellite objective as soon as possible. In the territories where it operates, Starlink has launched a 'premium' service for its consumers. The service will have 'more than twice the antenna capabilities' of the business's standard service, according to the company.

ALSO READ : Unique Twin Asteroids Discovered by Scientists Could Be the Youngest Asteroids All Seen