SpaceX plans to move about 4,400 Starlink satellites to a lower orbit, in what will be the largest satellite relocation in history. The company says the project is meant to improve safety, reduce collision risks, and better prepare for changes in solar activity that could affect satellite stability in the coming years.
Whose Satellites
Starlink is part of SpaceX, the private space company founded and owned by Elon Musk. Over the past five years, Starlink has grown from an experiment into a massive global internet system serving millions of customers around the world. Today, Starlink accounts for the majority of satellites orbiting Earth, with more than 9,000 Starlink satellites already in space and only two currently not working.
Michael Nicholls, vice president of Starlink engineering, publicly announced the plan on X and explained why this move is important. He said the change will increase safety for Starlink and for other satellites sharing space in Earth’s orbit.
Why Move Them
Earth’s orbit is becoming more crowded every year as space becomes part of everyday communication, navigation, and national security. Starlink alone represents about two thirds of operational satellites worldwide. Other nations and companies are also planning giant constellations. Even China is developing two mega networks, each expected to include more than 10,000 satellites.
This growing congestion raises the risk of collisions. Nicholls explained that lowering the satellites will help reduce danger and make it easier to safely remove any malfunctioning spacecraft. He said, “If a satellite does fail on orbit, we want it to deorbit as quickly as possible.” Right now, that process can take years. After lowering the orbit, it could take only months.
Scientists also warn that solar activity plays a major role. During periods of strong solar activity, the atmosphere thickens and pulls satellites down faster. During solar minimums, the atmosphere thins, meaning satellites stay in space longer. Nicholls said that as the world approaches the next solar minimum, this problem becomes more serious. He wrote that lowering the satellites will mean “a greater than 80 percent reduction in ballistic decay time in solar minimum, or four plus years reduced to a few months.”
Some researchers warn that if solar storms or other disruptions caused Earth to temporarily lose control of satellites, we could face serious chain reaction collisions within days. Because of these dangers, SpaceX believes that moving the satellites now is a responsible step for long term safety.
Right now, the satellites orbit at about 342 miles above Earth, which is about 550 kilometers. SpaceX plans to move them to about 298 miles, or around 480 kilometers. Nicholls said that this lower region has fewer debris objects and fewer competing satellite systems, which lowers the chance of crashes. He wrote, “Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits and will increase space safety in several ways.”
What Happened to the Original Plan
Starlink satellites were originally positioned where they are to balance coverage and performance. But conditions have changed since then. The number of satellites in space has exploded. A recent research paper warned that crowded orbit conditions could become dangerous if control of satellites is lost even temporarily. SpaceX is adjusting its plans to respond to this new reality.
SpaceX recently experienced a real world example of why faster deorbiting is important. The company announced it lost communication with one Starlink spacecraft. The satellite is tumbling at about 418 kilometers and will fall back to Earth soon. SpaceX stated that it is working with NASA and said the satellite does not threaten the International Space Station. The company explained, “As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety. We take these events seriously.”
The downward migration is expected to take place throughout 2026. It will involve about half of the Starlink fleet. SpaceX has not publicly shared how much it will cost, but moving thousands of satellites requires planning, fuel, engineering adjustments, and constant monitoring.
Many experts say the move is a positive sign that SpaceX is behaving responsibly as the largest operator in orbit. They believe that lowering satellites and reducing their lifetime if they fail is a smart step toward preventing disaster.
Others argue that Starlink helped create the problem by placing so many satellites in orbit in the first place. Still, even critics admit that lowering the satellites should reduce long term danger.
Nicholls also pointed out that there are risks beyond Starlink itself. He said the plan will protect against “difficult to control risks such as uncoordinated maneuvers and launches by other satellite operators.”
Starlink now supports more than 4.6 million customers worldwide and says it has helped bring internet to more than 2.8 billion people globally in some way through its expansion of connectivity access. The U.S. military is also studying whether to integrate Starlink systems into aircraft including Ghostrider gunships and heavy cargo planes.
With so much depending on Starlink and with orbit becoming more crowded every year, the stakes are high. By lowering 4,400 satellites, SpaceX hopes to set a new standard for space safety and responsible satellite management.
If successful, the move could serve as a model for how other mega constellations should prepare for the future, protecting both technology and the people who depend on it.
