Don't lose sleep over reports of 260 Starlink satellites deorbiting
Instead of waiting for its satellites to fail and fall on their own, SpaceX takes a proactive approach. "Controlled, propulsive deorbit is much shorter and
Instead of waiting for its satellites to fail and fall on their own, SpaceX takes a proactive approach. "Controlled, propulsive deorbit is much shorter and safer than a comparable uncontrolled, ballistic deorbit from an equivalent altitude and allows all Starlink satellites to maintain maneuverability and collision avoidance capabilities during the descent," it explained. There's no set frequency for Starlink deorbits, but they're a pretty common occurrence due to the size of the broadband service's constellation. According to satellite tracking platform Orbital Radar, there are currently more than 9,500 active Starlink satellites out there, providing customers with internet coverage even in remote locations.
In the future, SpaceX is bound to have a lot more satellites in orbit, and not just those meant to serve Starlink customers. It recently filed an application with the FCC to launch a million satellites to create an orbital data center for SpaceXAI. In its Commitment to Space Sustainability document, the company explained that its satellites orbit at altitudes below 600 kilometers and that the atmospheric drag at those altitudes will deorbit a satellite naturally within five years. It's also worth noting that the FCC adopted a rule in 2022 that requires Low Earth Orbit satellite operators to deorbit their satellites within five years of mission completion, in order to reduce the growth of orbital debris.
Earlier this year, Michael Nicolls, the VP for Starlink Engineering at SpaceX, announced that the company is lowering the orbit of all satellites currently flying at around 550 kilometers to 480 kilometers throughout 2026. Why? Well, Nicolls said doing so will improve satellite safety in several ways. The number of space debris and planned satellite constellations is "significantly lower below 500 kilometers," he said, "reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision." Further, it will be faster and quicker to deorbit satellites from the lower altitudes.
SpaceX owner Elon Musk said that it will allow Starlink to serve a higher density of customers, as well.
The BriefWire