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SpaceX Loses 80% Of Newest Starlink Satellites

Starlink satellite launch
After a successful launch, a solar storm doomed most of the Starlink satellites launched on Feb. 3.
Credit: SpaceX
It has been more than five years since SpaceX has lost a satellite, but despite a successful launch and deployment, the latest batch of Starlink spacecraft are mostly doomed. The day after a SpaceX Falcon 9 dispatched 49 Starlink satellites into orbit, a solar storm struck, causing Earth’s outer...
Irene Klotz

Irene Klotz is Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, based in Cape Canaveral. Before joining Aviation Week in 2017, Irene spent 25 years as a wire service reporter covering human and robotic spaceflight, commercial space, astronomy, science and technology for Reuters and United Press International.

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