SpaceX has lost dozens of satellites in a space storm that caused them to fall from orbit and burn up.
This space storm was caused by solar "storms," which are powerful explosions on the sun's surface that sending out magnetic fields and plasma.
Starlink satellites, which were launched in September, are Musk's attempt to provide high-speed Internet to the world by launching thousands of satellites into orbit.
The space company has confirmed that forty of the Starlink satellites were destroyed by the space storm.
The company had planned to launch a constellation of 49 of these satellites into orbit, but the space storm caused the re-entry of 40 of them.
SpaceX has permission to send up 12,000 satellites, but this new set of challenges will hinder its ability to meet its ambitious plan.
The geomagnetic storm that destroyed the satellites caused a huge change in the magnetosphere and increased the drag on the satellites.
During geomagnetic storms, atmospheric drag is increased by 50 percent. SpaceX's satellites were designed to fly on a knife edge to reduce the effects of sunlight.
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