After the explosion of one of its Starlink satellites and the avoidance of another collision with a Chinese satellite, SpaceX announced that it would reduce the orbital altitude of thousands of Starlink satellites to increase safety.
See also: A Starlink satellite appears to have exploded
Of the more than 9,000 Starlink satellites currently operating in low Earth orbit, SpaceX will lower the altitude of about 4,400 satellites from 550 kilometers above the Earth's surface to about 480 kilometers in the coming months.
See also: Chinese satellite almost collided with Starlink satellite
This ensures that the company 's satellites will be removed more quickly when something goes wrong or when they reach the end of their life, and also reduces the chance of collision, as "the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly smaller below 500 kilometers," wrote Michael Nicolls , Starlink's Vice President of Engineering.
By the end of this decade, there could be as many as 70,000 satellites operating in low Earth orbit — the region of space that extends from about 160 to 2,000 kilometers above Earth — if private and government efforts achieve their goals.
See also: Starlink: Reached 10,000 internet satellites
SpaceX had another record year in 2025. It flew more than 160 Falcon 9 missions, with more than 120 of those dedicated to expanding the Starlink constellation. Starlink now serves9.25 million active customers in more than 155 countries, markets and territories.
