SpaceX plans to lower thousands of Starlink satellites in 2026—here's why

Thousands of Starlink satellites will change course in 2026, but this does not spell trouble. Instead, SpaceX is deliberately reshaping its massive satellite network, lowering nearly half of the constellation to reduce long-term risks in an increasingly crowded orbital environment. The plan was outlined by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink engineering, in a post on X, where he described a “significant reconfiguration” of the Starlink network aimed squarely at improving space safety.

Throughout the year 2026, SpaceX plans to lower all Starlink satellites currently orbiting at about 550 kilometers to roughly 480 kilometers. This particular move will affect around 4,400 satellites, which is nearly half of their active constellation. At first glance, lowering thousands of satellites might sound very risky. In reality, it does the complete opposite. Our Earth’s atmosphere plays a very subtle but effective role here. At higher altitudes, even failed satellites can linger for a long period of time before naturally reentering and burning up. 

As Nicolls noted, this problem worsens as the Sun approaches solar minimum, a period when reduced solar activity causes Earth’s upper atmosphere to start thinning. Thinner air means less drag, and less drag allows satellites to remain in orbit far longer than intended. By shifting Starlink satellites down to about 480 kilometers, SpaceX drastically cuts down that timeline. Nicolls has stated that the lower orbit will reduce ballistic decay time by more than 80 percent during solar minimum, turning a process that can take four or more years into one that lasts just a few months.

That reduction matters as space becomes increasingly crowded. While low Earth orbit is vast, certain altitude bands are far busier than others. Below 500 kilometers, there are significantly fewer debris objects and fewer planned satellite constellations. Shrinking Starlink’s orbits into this less congested region reduces the overall risk of collisions, not only for Starlink but for every other operator sharing the orbital environment.

Nicolls also emphasized that the orbital lowering is being “tightly coordinated” with other satellite operators, regulators, and the U.S. Space Command. The coordination shows how spaceflight has evolved. No single company, not even SpaceX, can act independently without affecting others. Managing shared orbital space now demands cooperation and careful planning on a global scale.

The timing of the shift is also notable. As recently as December 18, SpaceX revealed that one of its Starlink satellites experienced an on-orbit anomaly that generated a “small number” of debris. Despite these setbacks, Starlink’s reliability record remains exceptionally strong, with just two dead satellites reported out of more than 9,000 operational spacecraft. Regardless of this near-perfect record, SpaceX has not become complacent, as it is planning for worst-case scenarios. “If a satellite does fail in orbit, we want it to deorbit as quickly as possible,” Nicolls wrote. Lowering the constellation makes that outcome far more likely, even when failures occur unexpectedly.

More on Starlust

NASA sets the stage for January spacewalks outside the International Space Station

The Artemis II crew: All about the people powering NASA’s return to the Moon