A Starlink satellite could kill someone by the year 2035 - Major health scare also a concern

Elon Musk's quest to send satellite after satellite into orbit has created a major problem for humanity. While Starlink satellites have built a constellation in low Earth orbit to provide high-speed, low-latency internet service to people in various countries, an astrophysicist is now highlighting their downside. Jonathon McDowell says the satellites are damaging the stratosphere, which can cause major health issues, such as skin cancers and cataracts. While thousands of Starlink satellites are being pushed into orbit, reports suggest one or two of them deorbit daily, adding to space junk. According to McDowell, more than 25,000 pieces of debris comprising redundant satellites and other broken objects are currently circling the planet. According to Spaceflight Now, SpaceX has 8,000 satellites in orbit right now, and there are plans for more. In 2025, more than 2,000 satellites will have been launched by Musk's company.

According to a warning by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023, Starlink satellites can seriously injure or kill someone within the next 10 years. Space debris has been flagged as a serious problem by authorities as it continues to build up in space. The FAA has said that 28,000 fragments could de-orbit and fall down, surviving reentry over the next few years. Low-orbit satellites have a typical lifespan of five to seven years. McDowell told EarthSky that, based on their age, five satellites per day could re-enter Earth in the coming years. However, Musk dismissed all such concerns, writing to the FAA that "SpaceX's satellites are designed and built to fully demise during atmospheric reentry during disposal at the end of life, and they do so." However, he admitted this year that "not all satellites fully disintegrate upon reentry."

Also Read: 3I/ATLAS precovery images captured by NASA's TESS show no coma - What it means

Risk of Kessler Syndrome

Such a huge number of satellites means that Earth could soon be staring at the Kessler Syndrome, a theoretical scenario created by a huge number of objects in low orbit, that start crashing into each other, setting off a chain reaction, spilling even more space debris. When satellites and other objects start colliding with each other, they will break apart, adding more junk to the orbit. He told Register that a region at about 600 to 1,000 kilometres range is at risk of falling victim to the Kessler Syndrome as it is "full of old Soviet rocket stages", besides other debris.