We've Turned Starlink into a Planetary Barometer

Starlink satellites orbit at 480 km and use thrusters to counter aerodynamic drag. Their sink rates, measured daily, act as a barometer for upper-atmosphere density. In 2026, sink rates ranged from 19.7 m/day on Aug 10 to 127.6 m/day on Jan 20, a six-fold increase during a geomagnetic storm. By analyzing the B* drag term in Space-Force TLEs for 1,000 satellites, analysts calculate a median sink rate that tracks daily atmospheric density changes, illustrating the direct impact of space weather on satellite operations.