No danger after Starlink space debris lights up Saskatchewan skies: expert

Space debris was seen over Saskatchewan burning up on re-entry and one astronomer says it serves as a reminder about the potential dangers of space junk falling to Earth.

More than a year after space debris likely linked to a SpaceX spacecraft landed in Saskatchewan, remnants of a Starlink satellite re-entering Earth’s atmosphere was spotted last week over the skies of the province.

Samantha Lawler, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of Regina, told Global News about the Starlink satellite re-entry and said she’s urging farmers east of Saskatoon to keep an eye out for space debris.

“It’s getting to be more common,” Lawler told Global News of space debris re-entering the atmosphere. “Here on the southern Prairies, we’re under the densest band of them just because of the orbits that have been chosen. So right here is the most likely to see the re-entries happen.

“I would love for people to get out and look and see if any pieces made it to the ground.”

The Canadian Space Agency told Global News in an email it was “aware of the event” in Saskatchewan and continues to monitor developments related to space debris in collaboration with domestic and international partners.

“Although no debris has been confirmed to have reached the ground in this case, the CSA remains attentive to public safety and acknowledges the concerns associated with the re-entry of space objects,” a spokesperson for the agency wrote.

A Starlink satellite re-entering Earth is not unusual, with SpaceX noting the technology operates in a low orbit below 600 km.

“Atmospheric drag at these altitudes will deorbit a satellite naturally in five years or less, depending on the altitude and satellite design, should one fail on orbit,” according to a SpaceX report on space sustainability.