https://www.space.com/space-exploration/satellites/spacex-lowering-orbits-of-4-400-starlink-satellites-for-safetys-sake [] Skip to main content (*) ( ) Open menu Space Space Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter RSS Sign in * * View Profile * Sign out [ ] Search Search Space [ ] * * Space Exploration + Launches & Spacecraft o Private spaceflight o Human spaceflight o SpaceX o Blue Origin o Virgin Galactic o United Launch Alliance + Search for Life o Exoplanets o SETI o Aliens + Missions o International Space Station o Space Shuttle o Apollo o Artemis o Voyager o Asteroid & Comet Missions o Mars rovers o New Horizons o Parker Solar Probe + Satellites * Astronomy + Solar System o The Sun o Asteroids o Mars o Comets o Mercury o Jupiter o Saturn o Pluto o Venus o Dwarf Planets o Neptune o Uranus + The Moon o Moon Phases + The Earth o Live 4K video from space o Climate Change o Weather + The Universe o Stars o Black Holes o Dark Universe o Galaxies + Deep Space o James Webb Space Telescope o Hubble Space Telescope * Stargazing + Skywatching Kit o Telescopes o Cameras + Astrophotography + Eclipses o Lunar Eclipses o Solar Eclipses * Entertainment + Space Movies & Shows o Star Trek o Star Wars + Space Games + Space Toys & Lego + Space Books * Tech & Science + Technology o Drones o Aerospace + Science o Particle Physics o Astrophysics * Videos * More + + Subscribe to our Newsletters + About Us + Web Notifications * home * Space Exploration + View Space Exploration + Launches & Spacecraft o View Launches & Spacecraft o Private spaceflight o Human spaceflight o SpaceX o Blue Origin o Virgin Galactic o United Launch Alliance + Search for Life o View Search for Life o Exoplanets o SETI o Aliens + Missions o View Missions o International Space Station o Space Shuttle o Apollo o Artemis o Voyager o Asteroid & Comet Missions o Mars rovers o New Horizons o Parker Solar Probe + Satellites * Astronomy + View Astronomy + Solar System o View Solar System o The Sun o Asteroids o Mars o Comets o Mercury o Jupiter o Saturn o Pluto o Venus o Dwarf Planets o Neptune o Uranus + The Moon o View The Moon o Moon Phases + The Earth o View The Earth o Live 4K video from space o Climate Change o Weather + The Universe o View The Universe o Stars o Black Holes o Dark Universe o Galaxies + Deep Space o View Deep Space o James Webb Space Telescope o Hubble Space Telescope * Stargazing + View Stargazing + Skywatching Kit o View Skywatching Kit o Telescopes o Cameras + Astrophotography + Eclipses o View Eclipses o Lunar Eclipses o Solar Eclipses * Entertainment + View Entertainment + Space Movies & Shows o View Space Movies & Shows o Star Trek o Star Wars + Space Games + Space Toys & Lego + Space Books * Tech & Science + Technology o View Technology o Drones o Aerospace + Science o View Science o Particle Physics o Astrophysics * Videos * More + Subscribe to our Newsletters + About Us + Web Notifications Don't miss these A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the NROL-105 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Jan. 16, 2026. Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches its 1st national security mission of 2026, sending US spy satellites to orbit a white and black rocket lifts off into the night sky, its bright yellow-white plume lighting its launch pad below. Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida (video) An illustration of two satellites with opposing solar panels on either side floating above the glowing blue atmosphere of Earth Launches & Spacecraft US Space Force awards 1st-of-its-kind $52 million contract to deorbit its satellites gif animation of a starlink satellite train traveling through the night sky as distinct bright white lights against a backdrop of stars. Satellites Starlink satellite train: how to see and track it in the night sky a tall silver rocket upright in a hangar Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX stacks Super Heavy booster ahead of Starship megarocket's 12th test flight Blue Origin's planned TeraWave satellite-internet constellation will eventually consist of about 5,400 satellites. Satellites Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to build 5,400-satellite megaconstellation a close-up of a payload fairing atop a rocket as it lifs off from its ocean-side launch pad Launches & Spacecraft Starlink satellites lift off on SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral (video) a triple-core rocket blasts off under a sunny, partly cloudy blue sky. smoke expands below next to an obscured launch tower, near a long white hanger with SPACEX written on the side. To the left, a bird flies away. Launches & Spacecraft Rocket launch today: Is there a rocket launch and what time? A rocket with a white stream of light behind it blasts off into a dark night sky Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 25 Starlink satellites into orbit from California (video) a white and black rocket lifts off from its launch pad, leaving a large white plume Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida (video) Artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starship vehicle on the moon during an Artemis astronaut mission for NASA. Artemis SpaceX looking into 'simplified' Starship Artemis 3 mission to get astronauts to the moon faster An illustration showing a metal satellite floating above Earth with metal debris strewn about it in space with the sun at the top of the image Satellites The risk of falling space junk hitting airplanes is on the rise, experts warn A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites from Florida 's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 9, 2026. Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on its 3rd mission of 2026 (video) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation mission for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence from California on Jan. 2, 2026. Launches & Spacecraft SpaceX launches Italian Earth-observing satellite to orbit on the 1st mission of 2026 (video) a stack of satellites are deployed into Earth orbit with the full sun visible Satellites A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling and falling out of space after partial breakup in orbit Trending * Aurora Forecast * Night sky tonight! * Best Telescopes * Space Calendar * Next Full Moon * Live 4K Sen video from space! * Best Drones * Best Binoculars * Lego Star Wars deals * Solar System Planets * Best Star Projectors 1. Space Exploration 2. Satellites SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety's sake News By Mike Wall published 2 January 2026 "Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety in several ways." When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works. a stack of satellites are deployed into Earth orbit with the full sun visible A stack of SpaceX Starlink satellites before being deployed into Earth orbit. (Image credit: SpaceX) Share Share by: * Copy link * Facebook * X * Whatsapp * Reddit * Pinterest * Flipboard * Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter We'll see a mass migration of SpaceX Starlink satellites this year. All Starlink broadband spacecraft currently orbiting 342 miles (550 kilometers) or so above Earth -- about 4,400 satellites -- will descend to an altitude of roughly 298 miles (480 km) over the course of 2026. There are two main reasons for the move, according to Michael Nicolls, vice president of Starlink engineering at SpaceX, who announced the plan via X on Thursday (Jan. 1). You may like * a stack of satellites are deployed into Earth orbit with the full sun visible A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling and falling out of space after partial breakup in orbit * rows of starlink satellites in the lower left portion of the image with Earth in the background and a slither of black space in the lower right side of the image. Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy * CAS Space's Kinetica-1 rocket launches two technical experiment satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Nov. 9, 2025. Spacecraft from Chinese launch nearly slammed into Starlink satellite, SpaceX says "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 months," Nicolls wrote in his X post. "Correspondingly, the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 km, reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision." Solar activity waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle. We likely just passed through the maximum phase of the current one, known as Solar Cycle 25. (Scientists have been tracking these cycles diligently since 1755, when the numbering system began.) The next solar minimum is expected in 2030 or thereabouts. As Nicolls noted, the atmospheric changes wrought by solar activity are of great interest and importance to satellite operators. An active sun causes a thicker atmosphere, which increases frictional drag on spacecraft and brings them down faster. Low solar activity has the opposite effect. The downward migration in 2026 involves roughly half of SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of nearly 9,400 operational spacecraft (though that number is always growing). The fleet is highly reliable; there are just two dead Starlinks currently in orbit, according to Nicolls. Get the Space.com Newsletter Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! [ ][ ]Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands[ ]Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors[Sign me up] By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. "Nevertheless, if a satellite does fail on orbit, we want it to deorbit as quickly as possible," he wrote. "These actions will further improve the safety of the constellation, particularly with difficult-to-control risks such as uncoordinated maneuvers and launches by other satellite operators." Low earth orbit (LEO) is getting increasingly crowded these days. Starlink is the main driving factor; about two-thirds of all operational satellites belong to the megaconstellation. But other giant networks are being assembled as well. For example, China has begun building out two LEO internet constellations, each of which will each feature more than 10,000 spacecraft if all goes to plan. Mike Wall Mike Wall Social Links Navigation Senior Space Writer Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter. Show More Comments You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout Read more a stack of satellites are deployed into Earth orbit with the full sun visible A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling and falling out of space after partial breakup in orbit A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites from Florida 's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 9, 2026. SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on its 3rd mission of 2026 (video) closeup photo taken from space of a boxy satellite with long, rectangular solar arrays extending on either side of its body Doomed SpaceX Starlink satellite photographed from orbit gif animation of a starlink satellite train traveling through the night sky as distinct bright white lights against a backdrop of stars. Starlink satellite train: how to see and track it in the night sky A white and black rocket lifts off against a blue sky. SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida a timelapse photo of a rocket launch causes the appearance of a bright beam of light extending from the ground into the night sky SpaceX launches 1st Starlink satellites of 2026 on new Falcon 9 rocket (video) Latest in Satellites Blue Origin's planned TeraWave satellite-internet constellation will eventually consist of about 5,400 satellites. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to build 5,400-satellite megaconstellation An illustration showing a metal satellite floating above Earth with metal debris strewn about it in space with the sun at the top of the image The risk of falling space junk hitting airplanes is on the rise, experts warn closeup photo taken from space of a boxy satellite with long, rectangular solar arrays extending on either side of its body Doomed SpaceX Starlink satellite photographed from orbit An orange, yellow, and blue heat image showing rows of orange heated architecture in the middle of an urbanized area. Satellites reveal heat leaking from largest US cryptocurrency mining center A yellow orb is surrounded by tons of yellow dots representing space debris below 0.1 mm. These 2 companies are teaming up to offer insurance for space debris strikes on satellites a stack of satellites are deployed into Earth orbit with the full sun visible A SpaceX Starlink satellite is tumbling and falling out of space after partial breakup in orbit Latest in News Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 3, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/ Paramount+. 'Vitus Reflux' may be the lowest stakes episode of 'Star Trek' ever. Luckily, it's also a lot of fun A rocket with a white stream of light behind it blasts off into a dark night sky SpaceX launches 25 Starlink satellites into orbit from California (video) The ghostly light of a distant comet is pictured on the screen of a laptop as it travels across a distant starscape. The words ' Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS online observing session are visible to the lower right of the screen. The laptop is pictured against a deep space background composed of blue white stars and puffs of interstellar dust and gas. Watch comet 3I/ATLAS race toward interstellar space in free livestream tonight Screenshot from sci-fi show Blake's 7 Cult sci-fi series 'Blake's 7' reboot in the works, helmed by 'The Last of Us' director Peter Hoar A Rocket Lab Electron rocket launches two satellites for the European company Open Cosmos from New Zealand on Jan. 22, 2026. Rocket Lab launches its 1st mission of 2026, sending 2 satellites to orbit Found individuals wearing pale blue shirts sit behind a long table with a black cloth over it and the blue NASA circle logo with blue screens behind them. 'We can handle any kind of difficult situation': Crew-11 astronauts say 1st medical evacuation from ISS had a silver lining MORE FROM SPACE... 1. Sandro Rosta as Caleb Mir in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 3, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer/Paramount+. 1 'Vitus Reflux' may be the lowest stakes episode of 'Star Trek' ever. Luckily, it's also a lot of fun 2. 2 Cult sci-fi series 'Blake's 7' reboot in the works, helmed by 'The Last of Us' director Peter Hoar 3. 3 Vaonis Hestia smartphone-powered telescope review 4. 4 Blue Origin launches 6 space tourists to the final frontier after last-minute crew swap (video) 5. 5 SpaceX launches 25 Starlink satellites into orbit from California (video) Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. [mednnv697g] Add as a preferred source on Google * About Us * Contact Future's experts * Terms and conditions * Privacy policy * Cookies policy * Accessibility Statement * Advertise with us * Web notifications * Careers (c) Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036. Close Please login or signup to comment Please wait... Login Sign Up