SpaceX Starlink V2 Satellites Experiencing Problems On Orbit

SpaceX may need to deorbit some of the first batch of larger second-generation Starlink satellites due to issues they are currently facing.

After being deployed into orbits nearly 370 kilometers high, the 21 satellites known as Group 6-1 began raising their orbits a couple of days later. However, the satellites halted their orbit raising shortly after and maintained orbits at altitudes of about 380 kilometers. The International Space Station is orbiting between 415 and 420 kilometers high.

[tweet https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1638616130356133888]

Since March 15, the altitude of the satellites began decreasing at varying rates, with some descending more steeply than others, reaching approximately 365 kilometers. While all 21 satellites remain in orbit, this behavior has led to speculation of issues with the spacecraft.

Elon Musk's tweet was the first official confirmation from SpaceX about the satellite's problems, though neither he nor the company have provided any details about the nature of these issues.

Group 6-1 satellites are the first of SpaceX's "V2 Mini" version of Starlink satellites. They are considerably larger than the company's previous first-generation Starlink satellites, of which over 4,000 have been launched to date. The V2 Mini satellites come with improved phased-array antennas and use E-band frequencies for backhaul, providing four times the capacity of earlier spacecraft. They are also equipped with new, higher-performance electric thrusters that use argon instead of krypton propellant to reduce costs.

Although SpaceX has not released any specific information about the V2 Mini satellites, the company's filings with the Federal Communications Commission for the second-generation constellation describe a spacecraft with a mass of 800 kilograms and a pair of solar arrays 12.8 meters long. In contrast, first-generation satellites weigh approximately 300 kilograms and have a single array eight meters long.