Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #aeolus
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So, I've just had it confirmed from another ESA source that #SpaceX refused to move their #Starlink satellite when they were alerted to the risk of collision with #Aeolus, which was 1 in 1,000, ten times higher than the threshold for a collision avoidance manoeuvre. (1/5)
SpaceX sent a short email to ESA saying they would not move their satellite. It's not clear why - they didn't mention if the satellite was active or not, apparently (ESA weren't even aware what the satellite was). (2/5)
ESA have been pretty frustrated with SpaceX so far. There has been very little communication regarding Starlink, despite repeated attempts by ESA to contact them (this is the first email SpaceX had sent). (3/5)
For the first time ever, ESA has performed a 'collision avoidance manoeuvre' to protect one of its satellites from colliding with a 'mega constellation'
#SpaceTraffic
#SpaceTraffic
@esa This morning, @ESA's #Aeolus Earth observation satellite fired its thrusters, moving it off a collision course with a @SpaceX satellite in their #Starlink constellation
@esa @SpaceX @ESA_EO Experts in our #SpaceDebris team calculated the risk of collision between these two active satellites, determining the safest option for #Aeolus would be to increase its altitude and pass over the @SpaceX satellite
#CollisionAvoidance
#CollisionAvoidance
The #Aeolus satellite, @ESA_EO’s latest Earth Explorer, is scheduled for liftoff tonight at 23:20 CEST (21:30 GMT). Join us for live coverage from 23:00 CEST (21:00 GMT) via esa.int/live
Once in orbit, the #Aeolus satellite will have a polar, sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 320 km, taking 90 minutes to complete one orbit around Earth and seven days to cover the globe.
esa.int/aeolus
esa.int/aeolus
#Aeolus will be operated by @esaoperations via the ground station in Kiruna, Sweden. Scientific data will be downlinked to Svalbard, Norway, and sent to Tromsø for processing. Further processing will be done by @ECMWF in the UK, and @ESA_EO in Italy.
esa.int/Our_Activities…
esa.int/Our_Activities…
