SpaceX to lose up to 40 Starlink satellites that will burn up in earth's atmosphere

Elon Musk’s firm says 80% of the satellites it launched last week are expected to burn up instead of reaching orbit

Up to 40 of the satellites will re-enter or already have re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere the firm said. The deorbiting satellites pose zero collision risk with other satellites.

SpaceX will lose up to 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites it launched last week as the result of a geomagnetic storm, the company has announced.

Elon Musk’s firm launched the satellites into low-Earth orbit on 3 February from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but 80% of them are now expected to burn up instead of reaching their intended orbit.