Due to a geomagnetic storm caused by a recent solar outburst, 40 out of 49 newly launched Starlink satellites have been disabled and are now entering Earth's atmosphere to be destroyed. This event underscores the risks faced by companies aiming to deploy thousands of small satellites in orbit for satellite internet service. There is a possibility that future solar outbursts could also disrupt these newly launched satellites. The sun operates on an 11-year cycle, alternating between active and inactive phases. Currently, the sun is increasing towards its peak, predicted to occur around 2025. This recent solar event was considered moderate compared to previous occurrences. Hugh Lewis, a space debris expert at the University of Southampton, believes that a more extreme event is likely to happen during the next solar cycle. If a mild solar event can disrupt 40 Starlink satellites, a stronger solar event could cause even more damage to SpaceX and other companies' satellite constellations. SpaceX announced the potential loss of up to 40 satellites in a blog post on Tuesday. The company stated that following the launch, the satellites were placed into their designated orbit approximately 130 miles above Earth. This specific altitude was chosen in order to minimize the risk of potential collisions with other satellites in the future. If the satellites experience malfunctions once deployed at this altitude and are unable to adjust their orbits to safer levels, they will be quickly reclaimed by the atmosphere, according to Lewis. This serves as an effective safety precaution. However, on January 29, prior to the launch of these satellites, a powerful eruption of highly energetic particles and magnetism from the sun, known as a coronal mass ejection, was detected. This ejection reached Earth around February 2, resulting in a geomagnetic storm within Earth's magnetic field. The intense storm increased the kinetic energy of particles in the Earth's atmosphere, causing it to expand and become denser. This increased drag on objects, such as satellites, causing their orbits to shrink and bringing them closer to the lower atmosphere where they would eventually burn up. During a recent Starlink deployment, SpaceX noted that the storm caused atmospheric drag to increase significantly, leading to the loss of 40 out of 49 satellites due to gravity. There are currently 1,915 Starlink satellites in orbit, so losing up to 40 is not a major concern for SpaceX, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. However, the cost of losing these satellites could potentially be up to $100 million. The risks of solar outbursts and geomagnetic storms to objects in low-Earth orbit are well known, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranking geomagnetic storms on a scale from minor to extreme. The latest storm, classified as "moderate," could potentially affect orbits by changing atmospheric drag. Considering these risks, it raises the question of whether SpaceX took this hazard into account during the recent Starlink deployment. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina in Canada, expressed her disbelief, stating "I’m just kind of dumbfounded." McDowell also found it surprising and mentioned that they should have been prepared for this situation. When contacted, a SpaceX media representative explained that the team was unavailable due to the demanding time. The satellites entering the atmosphere quickly, instead of staying in low-Earth orbit, is seen as a positive development and does not pose any threat to people on the ground. Lewis stated that the system operated safely, with the satellites de-orbiting without putting anything else at risk. Most satellites orbit at higher altitudes, avoiding atmospheric expansion hazards. However, the threat to satellites at lower altitudes remains, raising concerns about SpaceX's ability to continue deploying spacecraft at this altitude. Lewis explained that as the sun becomes more active, it emits more extreme ultraviolet radiation that is absorbed into the atmosphere, causing it to expand significantly. This is expected to increase atmospheric density by one or two orders of magnitude. The change we are witnessing now is much larger than the previous event. Many astronomers have criticized Starlink and other satellite constellations for potentially interfering with telescope research on Earth due to reflecting sunlight. Some view this incident as indicative of SpaceX's approach to issues in low-Earth orbit - fixing problems as they arise and improving in the future. This approach is seen as a focus on hindsight rather than foresight. The loss of these satellites is seen as a tough lesson for SpaceX. Lawler stated that what occurs next is within their control and expressed his desire for this situation to help them gain some understanding.