Elon Musk's Starlink satellites to be lowered in orbit for space safety in 2026

Elon Musk's satellite internet firm Starlink has announced to lower all of its satellites from approximately 550 km (342 miles) to 480 km over the course of 2026 to enhance space safety by reducing the satellites' orbital altitude.

The reconfiguration to Starlink's satellite constellation was brought to light by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's vice president of Starlink engineering.

The move comes after an incident in December 2025 when one of Starlink's satellites experienced an anomaly, resulting in a small amount of debris and cutting off communications at an altitude of 418 km.

This rare kinetic accident led to a rapid drop in altitude, suggesting an onboard explosion.

Nicolls explained that lowering the satellites will condense Starlink's orbits, thereby increasing space safety. He further outlined that the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 km, which reduces the chances of possible collisions.

The likelihood of such incidents in space has increased in recent years in the wake of a growing number of spacecraft in Earth's orbit as various companies and nations deploy tens of thousands of satellites for internet constellations and other space-related services like communications and Earth imagery.

Originally known for its rocket launch capabilities, SpaceX has become the world's largest satellite operator through Starlink, which comprises nearly 10,000 satellites providing broadband internet to consumers, governments, and enterprise customers.