Watch as SpaceX Vehicle Captures Stunning Orbital Sunrise

A SpaceX vehicle captured a gorgeous orbital sunrise as it deployed Starlink satellites into the Earth’s pull.

SpaceX shared the video to X (formerly Twitter) yesterday which fortuitously captured the orbital sunrise appearing from the other side of Earth just as the rocket deploys the Starlink satellites while in low-Earth orbit.

Digital Trends notes that an orbital sunrise can only be seen from space and happens when the Sun peeks over Earth’s horizon. Astronauts onboard the International Space Station can see 16 orbital sunrises in a 24-hour period as they fly around Earth at 18,000 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour).

The spectacular video was filmed on Monday, May 6, and the Falcon 9 rocket that launched from the Kennedy Space Center was deploying 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit joining the nearly 6,000-strong satellites that fly around the planet.

SpaceX plans to have 42,000 Starlink satellites in space in the future which is a cause for concern for some astronomers who accuse the space travel company of interfering with their view of deep space.

A Nature Astronomy reveals an increase in the number of images recorded by Hubble that are blemished by passing satellites such as SpaceX’s Starlink.

NASA is being forced to remove the satellite streaks in post-processing which can block the distant galaxies scientists are trying to study. However, the space agency says that for now, it’s not a huge issue.

“While such analyses may show a gradual increase in detected satellite trails over time, most of these streaks are readily removed using standard data reduction techniques, and the majority of affected images are still usable,” a spokeswoman tells The New York Times. “Satellite streaks do not currently pose a significant threat to Hubble’s science efficiency and data analysis.”

Some photographers are taking advantage of the increased space activity: Steven Madow captured a photo of a Falcon Heavy SpaceX rocket passing in front of the Moon — making the edges of Earth’s satellite look as if they’re rippling.