SpaceX once again encountered a problem with one of its Starlink satellites, reporting on March 29 that Starlink 34343 had “experienced a malfunction” and lost contact while orbiting 560 km above Earth.
This likely means that the moon has entered an inactive state in which it can no longer receive commands or operate its ion thruster, and is slowly descending into the atmosphere.
This is the second time in more than three months that the Starlink satellite has experienced a malfunction resulting in orbital debris, after last December’s accident with satellite 35956.
However, SpaceX confirmed that the event does not pose any danger to the International Space Station or its crew, or to the launch of the future Artemis II mission, given that the current moon’s orbit is much higher than the station’s orbit.
Starlin’s design ensures that inactive satellites gradually disintegrate and burn up upon reentry, reducing permanent orbital contamination.
It should be noted that the Starlink fleet includes more than 9,500 satellites, representing about 65% of the satellites operating in orbit, and the company is still expanding the network, while maintaining the launch of new satellites even after unexpected events.
