Starlink to lower orbit of about 4,400 satellites in 2026 to boost space safety

SpaceX's Starlink will lower the operating altitude of around 4,400 satellites in 2026, shifting its satellites orbiting at around 550 kilometers to about 480 kilometers in an effort to enhance safety, said Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering, on Thursday.

Nicolls said the move follows growing attention on the safety risks posed by large satellite constellations, after a Starlink satellite suffered an anomaly in December 2025 that generated debris. The company said the spacecraft lost communications at an altitude of 418 kilometers and quickly dropped about four kilometers, suggesting a possible onboard explosion.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Nicolls said the orbit change is intended to speed up the removal of satellites that fail in space. As the Sun's activity trends toward a solar minimum, atmospheric density in low Earth orbit is expected to decline, reducing drag and extending the time it takes for non functioning satellites to naturally reenter the atmosphere. He said a satellite that becomes uncontrollable at 550 kilometers could take more than four years to naturally reenter, while at 480 kilometers it could deorbit within months.

Nicolls added that lowering Starlink's operating band would also move the constellation away from an increasingly crowded region between 500 and 600 kilometers, where a growing number of planned satellite systems and space debris raise collision risks.

Starlink currently has more than 9,000 satellites in orbit. Nicolls also noted that two "fully failed" Starlink satellites remain in orbit, and said the company is coordinating with US regulators and other spacecraft operators to avoid space traffic conflicts during the planned orbit lowering campaign.

(With input from Reuters)