SpaceX corrects the orbits of thousands Starlink satellites a few weeks after an incident involving several Chinese satellites.
Michael Nicholls, vice president of Starlink engineering at Elon Musk's rocket company, said Thursday that SpaceX will move about 4,400 Starlink satellites to lower orbit during 2026.
Nicholls wrote in publish on X that the move would reduce the time it takes for defunct satellites to burn up in Earth's atmosphere and reduce the “probability of collision” with other satellites and space debris.
SpaceX founder Musk supported the move, writing on X that it would also enable Starlink, which uses a constellation of about 9,000 satellites to provide wireless internet. in more than 150 countriesto serve a “higher density” of customers.
The Earth's orbit has become increasingly crowded since the dawn of the space age, and it's likely to become even busier as satellite constellations like Starlink and Amazon's Leo grow.
The buildup has raised concerns about the risks of satellite collisions, which could lead to more debris in orbit.
European Space Agency There are an estimated 1.2 million pieces of space debris in orbit ranging in size from 0.4 to 4 inches, each of which orbits the Earth at 17,000 mph and could cause damage to satellites and manned space launches.
In December, SpaceX said one Starlink satellite had almost missed after nine Chinese satellites came within 650 feet, with Nicholls saying in a post on X that the approach was “dangerously close.”
The rocket company also said that one of its Starlink satellites exploded last monthreleasing a small number of “low relative velocity tracked objects” before burning up in orbit.
Nicholls wrote on X that the Starlink satellites would be lowered from an altitude of about 342 miles to about 298 miles above the Earth's surface, adding that the amount of space debris and planned satellite constellations was “significantly lower” below 311 miles.
“These actions will further enhance the constellation's security, especially given difficult-to-control risks such as uncoordinated maneuvers and launches from other satellite operators,” he said.
