GoKawiilAstronomer turns Starlink satellite drag data into atmospheric monitoring tool
Dr. Tony Phillips of spaceweather.com has built a method to track Earth's upper atmosphere by analyzing orbital decay data from SpaceX's Starlink satellites, along with constellations from Planet Labs, Amazon Kuiper, and Eutelsat OneWeb. He uses the 'B-star' drag term buried in Space Force tracking data to measure how much the atmosphere expands in response to solar activity, finding a roughly two-day lag between solar radio flux changes and atmospheric response.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This approach could give researchers a continuous, low-cost way to monitor thermosphere behavior using data already collected for satellite tracking, rather than dedicated scientific instruments. It also highlights an unintended scientific byproduct of megaconstellations that Phillips otherwise criticizes for interfering with astronomy and raising collision risks in low Earth orbit.
- Phillips uses the B* drag term in publicly available satellite tracking data (TLEs) to infer atmospheric density changes.
- The method draws on data from over 2,000 satellites across four constellations: Starlink, Planet Labs SuperDoves, Amazon Kuiper, and Eutelsat OneWeb.
- Findings show atmospheric expansion tracks solar radio flux with about a two-day delay, according to Phillips.
Source: theregister.com — Simon Sharwood, 2026-09-25
Published there as: “Astronomer watches Starlink satellites sinking to build a 'planetary barometer'”
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