Starlink VP Michael Nicolls: Most of the risk of operating in space comes from the lack of ..
Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX , is not happy with China’s latest satellite launches. Michael Nicolls, VP of Engineering at Starlink , SpaceX’s satellite internet service, has publicly criticised China's recent satellite deployment, claiming a lack of coordination led to dangerous close approaches in space. Nicolls took to the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) that the primary risk of operating in space
This comes a few days after Beijing deployed nine satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Northwestern China. Nicolls claimed that
was performed with existing satellites. This uncoordinated action resulted in a dangerously close, 200-meter approach between one of the newly deployed Chinese satellites and a Starlink satellite, STARLINK-6079 (56120), at an altitude of 560 km.
Nicolls' statement highlighted that dangerous close approaches occur when operators
(which is precise orbital data). Nicolls also urged that the industry-wide lack of coordination
In his X post, Nicolls wrote:
This comes after CAS Space said it successfully launched nine satellites aboard its Kinetica-1/Lijian-1 rocket last week. The mission carried six Chinese satellites, two jointly developed spacecraft for clients in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and a student-built satellite from Nepal.
Replying to Nicolls, CAS Space said:
Commenting on the same thread, CAS Space added:
Responding to this, Nicolls said:
Meanwhile, astronomer and satellite-tracking expert Jonathan McDowell said the close approach took place around 1:42 am EST on December 12, over the eastern Pacific Ocean, citing data from the US Space Force .
In a statement to PCMag, he said:
This comes a few days after Beijing deployed nine satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Northwestern China. Nicolls claimed that
was performed with existing satellites. This uncoordinated action resulted in a dangerously close, 200-meter approach between one of the newly deployed Chinese satellites and a Starlink satellite, STARLINK-6079 (56120), at an altitude of 560 km.
Nicolls' statement highlighted that dangerous close approaches occur when operators
(which is precise orbital data). Nicolls also urged that the industry-wide lack of coordination
In his X post, Nicolls wrote:
This comes after CAS Space said it successfully launched nine satellites aboard its Kinetica-1/Lijian-1 rocket last week. The mission carried six Chinese satellites, two jointly developed spacecraft for clients in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, and a student-built satellite from Nepal.
Replying to Nicolls, CAS Space said:
Commenting on the same thread, CAS Space added:
Responding to this, Nicolls said:
Meanwhile, astronomer and satellite-tracking expert Jonathan McDowell said the close approach took place around 1:42 am EST on December 12, over the eastern Pacific Ocean, citing data from the US Space Force .
In a statement to PCMag, he said:
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