SpaceX will Lower the Orbit of Thousands of Starlink Satellites in 2026 in Stages

JAKARTA - SpaceX announced the company's big plan to lower the orbit altitude of thousands of its Starlink satellites, as part of an effort to improve space safety.

VP Starlink Engineering, Michael Nicolls said that they will lower about 4,400 satellites that are currently orbiting at an altitude of about 550 kilometers, to about 480 kilometers gradually throughout 2026.

"Starlink is beginning a major reconfiguration of its satellite constellation with a focus on improving space safety. We will deorbit all Starlink satellites currently in orbit," Nicolls wrote in a statement on his personal X account.

Starlink is beginning a significant reconfiguration of its satellite constellation focused on increasing space safety. We are lowering all @Starlink satellites orbiting at ~550 km to ~480 km (~4400 satellites) over the course of 2026. The shell lowering is being tightly…

— Michael Nicolls (@michaelnicollsx) January 1, 2026

Nicolls stressed that the process of lowering the Starlink orbit coordinates has been strictly coordinated with other satellite operators, regulators, as well as the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM).

He explained that this orbital decline is considered crucial as the minimum solar period approaches, which is the phase when solar activity weakens and the density of the Earth's atmosphere in the upper layers decreases.

"As the minimum solar period approaches, the atmospheric density will decrease, which means that the ballistic decay time at a certain altitude will be longer," he explained.

By lowering the satellite's altitude, Starlink claims that ballistic decay time can be cut by more than 80 percent, from the previous four years to just a few months.

The reduction in the satellite's altitude is said to compact the Starlink orbit and improve space safety in several aspects.

In addition to speeding up the deorbit process, the orbit region below 500 kilometers is also relatively "cleaner" than space debris and plans for new satellite constellations, so it can reduce the potential for satellite collisions.

The company owned by billionaire Elon Musk also confirmed that the reliability of its satellite fleet is very high.

Of the more than 9,000 satellites in operation, only two have been recorded as experiencing total failure.

Even so, the company still emphasizes the importance of risk mitigation, including ensuring that failed satellites can immediately leave orbit so as not to become long-term space debris.

"However, if a satellite fails in orbit, we want to ensure that the satellite can deorbit as quickly as possible," he concluded.