To Reduce Collision Risk: Starlink Lowers Orbits of Thousands of Satellites

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Starlink satellites                                  

To Reduce Collision Risk.. Starlink Lowers Orbits of Thousands of Satellites

The decision comes after one of its satellites experienced a malfunction in space.

Michael Nichols, vice president of Starlink engineering at SpaceX, announced on Thursday that Starlink will begin restructuring its satellite constellation by lowering the orbits of all its satellites currently orbiting at an altitude of 550 kilometers (342 miles) to 480 kilometers by 2026.

The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, aims to increase safety in space by lowering satellite orbits, thus reducing the risk of collisions.

This comes after Starlink announced in December that one of its satellites had suffered a malfunction in space, resulting in a "small" accumulation of debris and a loss of communications with the satellite at an altitude of 418 kilometers. This is a rare kinetic event in orbit for the satellite internet giant, according to Reuters.

The company explained that the satellite, one of nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit for its broadband internet network, rapidly descended four kilometers in its orbit, suggesting an explosion on board.

"Decreasing satellite orbits condenses Starlink's orbits and will increase safety in space in several ways," Nicholls said in a post on the social media platform X. "The number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 kilometers, reducing the overall probability of a collision."

The number of spacecraft in Earth orbit has increased dramatically in recent years as companies and countries race to deploy tens of thousands of satellites to provide satellite internet and other space-based services such as communications and Earth imaging.

SpaceX, long known for its rocket launching activity, is the world's largest satellite operator through Starlink, a network of nearly 10,000 satellites that broadcasts broadband internet service to consumers, governments, and businesses.