SpaceX to Lower Orbits for Thousands of Starlinks
SpaceX is lowering roughly 4,800 satellites orbiting at about 550 kilometers to about 480 kilometers in the name of greater space safety, Vice President of Starlink Engineering Michael Nicolls wrote Thursday on social media. The lowering will happen over the course of 2026 and is "being tightly coordinated" with other satellite operators, regulators and U.S. Space Command, he said. Lowering the satellites "results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety," because the amount of space debris and planned satellite constellations is notably less below 500 km, meaning a smaller aggregate likelihood of collision.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
Nicolls also said that while Starlinks are highly reliable, "with only 2 dead satellites in its fleet of over 9000 operational satellites," the company still wants any failed satellite to de-orbit quickly. The lowering will also improve safety when it comes to difficult-to-control risks such as uncoordinated maneuvers and launches by other satellite operators, he added.
The 2022 authorization of SpaceX's second-generation constellation allows it to operate at 525, 530 and 535 km (see 2212010052), while the FCC in 2021 approved a modification of the company's first-generation satellites that lowered their approved orbit from the 1,100-1,300 km range to 540-570 km (see 2104260044).
SpaceX said last week it had 9.2 million customers globally.