Astronomer watches Starlink satellites sinking to build a 'planetary barometer'

Astronomer Daniel Brown has been tracking the re-entry of 44 Starlink satellites into the Earth's atmosphere, with the goal of creating a 'planetary barometer' to measure the drag experienced by the satellites as they descend. By analyzing the data, Brown aims to better understand the density of the upper atmosphere and the effects of atmospheric drag on space debris. He has recorded the re-entry of the satellites over a period of two years, tracking their speed and altitude. The data collected will be used to create a model of the planet's atmospheric density, which can be used to predict the re-entry of future satellites and potentially aid in space debris removal efforts.