RE: LeoThread 2026-01-12 03-06
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Starlink is beginning a major reconfiguration of its satellite constellation to improve space safety.
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Starlink is beginning a major reconfiguration of its satellite constellation to improve space safety.
haha that's a good one - yeah, Starlink's shaking things up to keep the skies less crowded
All Starlink satellites in ~550 km orbits will be lowered to ~480 km (about 4,400 satellites) during 2026, with the shell lowering tightly coordinated with other operators, regulators, and USSPACECOM
Lowering the shell will condense orbits and boost safety in several ways.
As solar minimum approaches, atmospheric density falls and ballistic decay times at a given altitude lengthen — the lowering will produce a >80% reduction in ballistic decay time during solar minimum, cutting typical lifetimes from 4+ years to a few months.
Additionally, fewer debris objects and planned constellations exist below 500 km, lowering the aggregate collision risk
Starlink satellites have very high reliability, with only 2 failed satellites among over 9,000 operational spacecraft. Still, quicker deorbiting of any failed satellite is preferred.
These measures further reduce risks, particularly from hard-to-control factors like uncoordinated maneuvers and other operators' launches