TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - SpaceX, the aerospace company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has announced a new operational policy for its Starlink satellite network, involving a gradual lowering of orbital altitudes for thousands of satellites.
Under the plan, more than 4,400 Starlink satellites currently orbiting at about 550 kilometers (342 miles) above Earth will be lowered to approximately 480 kilometers (298 miles). The move is expected to take place gradually beginning in 2026.
Starlink Vice President Michael Nicolls outlined two main reasons for the decision in a post on X on Thursday, January 1.
The first is linked to the solar minimum, the lowest phase in the Sun’s roughly 11-year activity cycle. During periods of low solar activity, Earth’s upper atmosphere becomes less dense, reducing atmospheric drag and slowing the natural orbital decay of satellites.
Lowering the satellites’ altitude, Nicolls said, would significantly accelerate this process.
”As solar mininum approaches, atmospheric density decreases, which means the ballistic decay time at any given altitude increases — lowering will mean a >80% reduction in ballistic decay time in solar minimum, or 4+ years reduced to a few month,” he wrote, as cited by Space on January 3, 2025.
Solar activity recently passed the peak of Solar Cycle 25 in 2025, with the next solar minimum projected around 2030. Fluctuations in solar activity are a key concern for satellite operators, as increased solar activity causes the atmosphere to expand and intensify drag, while lower activity has the opposite effect.
The second reason for the orbital adjustment is to reduce the risk of collisions with space debris. According to Nicolls, orbital regions below 500 kilometers are expected to host fewer debris objects and planned satellite constellations, making them safer for long-term operations.
"Correspondingly, the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 km, reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision."
The planned orbit migration will affect roughly half of the Starlink constellation, which currently comprises around 9,400 operational satellites and continues to expand. Nicolls said the fleet remains highly reliable, with only two inactive satellites currently in orbit.
He added that malfunctioning satellites would be prioritized for deorbiting, and that lowering operational altitudes is part of broader efforts to improve the safety and manageability of the constellation, including mitigating risks posed by satellites that are difficult to control.
Low Earth orbit is becoming increasingly congested, with Starlink accounting for roughly two-thirds of all operational satellites worldwide. Competition is also expected to intensify, as China is developing two government-backed low Earth orbit internet constellations, each planned to include more than 10,000 satellites.
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