Magnetic storm is not some sensible wind or whatever that could physically blow out some objects, it is very rarefied stream of charged particles from solar flare that can't damage even a piece of cigarette paper along with noticeable magnetosphere disturbance, i.e. rapid changes in Earth magnetic field and radiation belts currents, that could induce unexpected currents in electronic devices or long wires. That is the real manifestation of magnetic storm.
Musk satellites could have simplified and weak protection circuits in electronics, or unsufficient shielding, f.e. to cut the price, and that really could be the reason of failure from magnetic storm. But that will make them too unreliable for regular work at orbit, magnetic storms are not the rare thing at all.
One more interesting thing I recall - before the accident, there was few articles in MSM that here comes huge solar flare and there will be auroras visible even at latitudes as low as Canada/US border, Nothern Europe and Middle Russia, but there was no any noticeable phenomenas at all. Even aurora at October 13 2021 was much more powerful with entertaining show in the skies over Nothern Russia cities.
But that will make them too unreliable for regular work at orbit, magnetic storms are not the rare thing at all.
The idea with Starlink sats being cheap is that he's just going to keep launching new sats constantly to replace the broken ones, forever. It keeps SpaceX funded and launch "cadence" high.
But yeah if we start seeing more downtime due to "magnetic storms", they'll have to rethink their redundancy model.
Oops, fixed, sorry, :)
Magnetic storm is not some sensible wind or whatever that could physically blow out some objects, it is very rarefied stream of charged particles from solar flare that can't damage even a piece of cigarette paper along with noticeable magnetosphere disturbance, i.e. rapid changes in Earth magnetic field and radiation belts currents, that could induce unexpected currents in electronic devices or long wires. That is the real manifestation of magnetic storm.
Musk satellites could have simplified and weak protection circuits in electronics, or unsufficient shielding, f.e. to cut the price, and that really could be the reason of failure from magnetic storm. But that will make them too unreliable for regular work at orbit, magnetic storms are not the rare thing at all.
One more interesting thing I recall - before the accident, there was few articles in MSM that here comes huge solar flare and there will be auroras visible even at latitudes as low as Canada/US border, Nothern Europe and Middle Russia, but there was no any noticeable phenomenas at all. Even aurora at October 13 2021 was much more powerful with entertaining show in the skies over Nothern Russia cities.
The idea with Starlink sats being cheap is that he's just going to keep launching new sats constantly to replace the broken ones, forever. It keeps SpaceX funded and launch "cadence" high.
But yeah if we start seeing more downtime due to "magnetic storms", they'll have to rethink their redundancy model.