The UK Space Agency Tweeted about a Starlink Satellite Re-entering the Earth’s Atmosphere
20th Sep 2021The UK Space Agency, recently, sent out a tweet about a Starlink satellite. They expressed a low chance of it burning over the UK after re-entering. UKSA explained they’re monitoring the situation but don’t see any cause for alarm.
This is not the first re-entry for Starlink satellites which have a good track record for safe events. That’s why the agency has no reason to worry about it causing any damage in the UK.
However, the UK Space Agency is keeping an eye on the re-entry to be safe. One of their main responsibilities is assessing such re-entries plus any other space debris hurtling towards the earth. The goal is to ensure British territories are risk-free by using the SST (Space Surveillance and Tracking).
UKSA Keeps an Eye on all Re-entries like the Starlink Satellite
Such events are a cause of concern for UKSA because there are always high levels of uncertainty. The reason being, all the different data, observation errors, and natural events can change things in the blink of an eye.
However, UKSA believes the re-entry went on smoothly, and the vehicle disintegrated completely. There’s no way to tell for sure because sensors on the ground can’t track this event as it happens. Still, there aren’t any Britons in immediate danger either way.
The Starlink satellite is among over 1500 units that SpaceX has launched over the years. UKSA is participating in space activity monitoring using SST (Space Surveillance and Tracking) technology. The SST uses laser-ranging systems, telescopes, and radar in this process. This is how UKSA picked up on the Starlink satellite.
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