SPLATELLITE ALERT
Brit-backed space mission just 190ft from Musk crash
A BRITISH-backed satellite came within less than 200ft of crashing into one of Elon Musk’s crafts.
Engineers at OneWeb and the billionaire’s SpaceX programme received a series of red alerts from the US Space Force that their satellites might collide.
The companies are in competition to beam high-speed internet access to remote areas on Earth.
OneWeb, founded in 2012, was bought out of bankruptcy last year by the UK government and Bharti Global, an Indian telecoms company, which each invested £365million.
SpaceX, founded in 2002, is a rocket and satellite company owned by Tesla chief Musk. Starlink, its network of 1,378 satellites, has already begun to provide broadband to parts of Britain.
On March 30, a week after OneWeb launched 36 satellites from Russia, engineers noticed the warnings from the US
Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron, which monitors satellites.
OneWeb’s satellites operate in a higher orbit than Starlink so they have to pass through its network on their way up.
The alerts, reported by the tech website The Verge, suggested a collision probability of 1.3%, with the satellites coming within 190ft of each other.
OneWeb engineers contacted SpaceX to co-ordinate how the satellites could change course. SpaceX agreed to switch
off its satellite’s AI-powered collision avoidance system to allow OneWeb to pass, said OneWeb’s Chris McLaughlin.
The automated system on Starlink satellites has come under criticism from other satellite operators, who say that they are not privy to its decision-making.
Mr McLaughlin said: “Co-ordination is the issue. The other guy may not understand what yours is trying to do.”