'Impact on spaceflight missions': SpaceX Starlink satellite under NASA lens

NASA has raised concerns over Musk's SpaceX plan to deploy thousands of satellites for its Starlink programme.

SpaceX had recently launched Starlink satellites for the first global orbital launch as it lifted 49 Starlink v1.5 satellites.

Musk's space company had received authorisation for 12,000 satellites to offer internet broadband services, however, NASA said it raised "potential for a significant increase in the frequency of conjunction events and possible impacts to NASA’s science and human spaceflight missions."

Also Read: 80% of Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX to be destroyed by geomagnetic storm

Starlink is a division of SpaceX owned and operated by Musk and it works privately independent of US military and civilian use. However, it works closely with NASA to engage its projects in space. 

SpaceX intends to deploy nearly 30,000 satellites for its Starlink internet broadband link for worldwide access. The space agency had informed on Wednesday that up to 40 Starlink satellites were knocked out due to a geomagnetic storm. 

However, it said it posed little threat since it burned up in the atmosphere. 

Watch: What is Geomagnetic storm?

The company said at least 40 satellites "will reenter or already have reentered the Earth's atmosphere". NASA however said that the SpaceX Gen2 project means it will now double the number of objects being tracked in orbit with a "five fold" increase in the number of objects below 600 km which is currently at 6,100.

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The US space agency asserted that a large number of satellites interferes with astronomical observations. Musk had recently tweeted that SpaceX has 1,469 active Starlink satellites and will be moving another 272 into the orbit soon while adding,"Laser links activate soon".

In fact, China had slammed the US after it said its space station was in a collision course with Starlink satellite in July last year and then again in October while adding that the incident "constituted dangers to the life or health of astronauts aboard the China Space Station".

(With inputs from Agencies)