SpaceX will move more than 4,400 satellites to a lower orbit after China cited safety risk
Starlink’s Michael Nicolls declares ‘significant reconfiguration’ to be coordinated with regulators, other operators and US Space Command
The move aims to relocate the satellites to orbital regions less crowded by space debris and other planned satellite constellations, reducing the risk of collisions and allowing satellites to deorbit faster.
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“Starlink is beginning a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation focused on increasing space safety,” Michael Nicolls, vice-president of engineering at Starlink, said in a social media post on Friday, China time.
Nicolls said the altitude of its satellites orbiting at around 550km (342 miles) would be lowered to around 480km over the course of 2026, a feat that would involve shifting more than 4,400 satellites.
“Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety in several ways,” he said, adding that “the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500km, reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision”.
Internet satellites in low Earth orbit are often launched to altitudes of around 500km to 1,200km. The International Space Station orbits at an altitude of 400km, while China’s Tiangong space station orbits between 340km and 450km.
Nicolls said the benefits would include more than 80 per cent reduction in ballistic decay time – the time it takes for an object in orbit to fall back to Earth – during the incoming solar minimum, which is expected around 2030.