Space is far from safe – risk appear in every orbit , as one of the Swarm satellite attain a few weeks ago . The three ballistic capsule are part of a single mission from the European Space Agency ( ESA ) , meditate the Earth ’s magnetic field . This very pastime is what put them in danger .
Our planet ’s magnetosphere reply to the effects of the Sun . Since the Sun has entered the very alive phase ofits 11 - yr - long round , that means more alive blank weather and more intense extreme ultraviolet light source . The gamey radiation ignite up the atmosphere , leading to increased compactness of the upper atmospheric state , where satellites travel . This creates drag and can slow down satellites enough to make them fall back down to Earth .
So , Swarm members Alpha and Charlie had to be moved to higher orbits ( Bravo was fine , already at a high height ) . Both satellites had to do 25 tactical maneuver in the form of 10 weeks to get to rubber .
Alpha was on its merry way back on June 30 , when an alarm come in : Eight 60 minutes later Alpha was possiblygoing to come to something .
It was unclear what the distance junk was , just that it was human - made and that the likelihood of the impact was gamey enough that Alpha take to get out of the fashion . The team get together and , four hours subsequently , they were quick to move the satellite .
However , that was not all . The orbit - raising tactic was also clip sensitive , so the team had to schedule a new attempt as shortly afterward as potential . Luckily , they were able to do that too , and Alpha was back on track just a few hours after the hit was go to take place .
Alpha and Charlie are kept relatively close to each other to deliver the right reflexion , like the one aboutthe magnetic waves on the airfoil of the Earth ’s core . So if they were no longer on similar orbit , the science would have to be stopped . as luck would have it , the team was able to shift together with only minor delays .
There isa lot of space debrisaround Earth , and ESA usually has to move each of its satellites twice per year . The warning signal be given to be even more common , but fortunately , not every one results in the penury for a collision avoidance maneuver . Each of these tactical maneuver ask to make certain they do n’t put the planet in an even more dangerous arena , so they take a slew of provision .
