Starlink Satellite Falls to Earth After Accident in Orbit

JAKARTA - One of the Starlink internet experienced an accident in orbit and is now falling towards the Earth's atmosphere. According to SpaceX's report, the anomaly experienced by the satellite occurred on Wednesday, December 17.

The Elon Musk-owned company said the accident occurred when Starlink was at an altitude of 418km. This technical disruption triggered a leak in the propulsion tank and a drastic decrease in orbital altitude.

As a result of the tank damage, several small objects were known to have detached from the satellite body. Although it looks worrying, Starlink ensures that these objects are still monitored with the help of tracking technology.

SpaceX is now working with NASA and the US Space Force to monitor the movement of the debris. They confirmed that this situation is still under control and does not endanger space safety.

"The satellite is mostly intact, spinning around, and will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere and completely disintegrate in a few weeks," Starlink wrote in an official post on the X account, quoted on Friday, December 19.

This satellite is predicted to fall below the position of the International Space Station (ISS). This trajectory is confirmed not to pose a collision risk for the space laboratory or the astronaut crew on duty.

SpaceX's engineering team is investigating the cause of the anomaly to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. They have also begun updating software on other satellites to improve system protection.

Currently, SpaceX operates around 9,300 active satellites that cover 65 percent of all vehicles in orbit. Despite the large number, the company remains committed to space traffic safety.