In 2026, SpaceX's Starlink will lower about 4,400 satellites from an altitude of roughly 550 km down to 480 km to boost safety and speed up debris removal 🌌🛰️.
This plan comes after a Starlink satellite suffered an anomaly in December 2025 that generated debris. The spacecraft lost communications at 418 km, dropped about 4 km in orbit, and may have experienced an onboard explosion.
According to Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering, dropping to 480 km means that broken satellites deorbit in months instead of years. With solar activity heading toward a minimum, thinner air up at 550 km would let dead satellites linger for more than four years!
Lowering the orbit also shifts the constellation away from the busy 500-600 km zone crowded with planned satellites and space junk, reducing collision risks✨.
Starlink now has over 9,000 satellites up there, but two fully failed ones are still circling. Nicolls says SpaceX is working with US regulators and other operators to keep space traffic smooth during this year's orbit-lowering campaign.
For young space explorers and tech fans, this move shows how big constellations are evolving to keep our skies safer and cleaner. 🚀
Reference(s):
Starlink to lower orbit of about 4,400 satellites in 2026 for safety
cgtn.com
