Researchers Map Upper Atmosphere at 500 Kilometers Using 1,200 Starlink Satellites
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 17
Researchers Map Upper Atmosphere at 500 Kilometers Using 1,200 Starlink Satellites
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 17
Summary
Kyoto University researchers reconstructed thermospheric density about 500 kilometers above Earth by analyzing orbital drag on roughly 1,200 Starlink satellites and applying tomography.
The method turns gradual orbit decay at Starlink’s 482-kilometer altitude into a two-dimensional latitude-longitude snapshot of the neutral upper atmosphere, a region that is far harder to observe than the ionosphere.
The team said the map is the first tomographic analysis of its kind, and its density patterns matched observations from ESA’s SWARM satellites along their orbital tracks.
Better density measurements can sharpen satellite-motion forecasts in crowded low Earth orbit, cutting collision risk with other spacecraft and debris as constellations continue to grow.
The work extends the team’s earlier Starlink-based estimates of density over time and altitude, and could eventually support near-real-time monitoring for safer operations and improved space-weather forecasting.