Starlink Satellites Reveal a Hidden Atmosphere 300 Miles Above Earth

Kyoto University researchers have used drag data from about 1,200 Starlink satellites to create the first tomographic map of Earth's thermosphere, roughly 300 miles up. As each satellite passed through trace amounts of atmosphere, tiny orbital slowdowns revealed local density patterns. The resulting map could improve space weather forecasts, satellite tracking, and collision avoidance when solar storms disturb the upper atmosphere.