Three percent of SpaceX's Starlink satellites died (2024)

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Three percent of SpaceX's Starlink satellites died? ›

Piling Up. SpaceX has launched about 775 Starlink satellites so far but plans to have 42,000 by the time the constellation is complete. At a three percent failure rate — assuming it stays consistent — that amounts to 1,260 immobilized satellites waiting to smash into other stuff in space.

SpaceX said that of the almost 6,000 satellites launched by SpaceX, it has to-date initiated controlled de-orbits on 406. Seventeen of those are currently non-maneuverable and described as passively decaying while “well-tracked”, while the rest are in controlled descent or have already de-orbited.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has announced it will dispose of 100 Starlink satellites over the next six months, after it discovered a design flaw that may cause them to fail. Rather than risk posing a threat to other spacecraft, SpaceX will “de-orbit” these satellites to burn up in the atmosphere.

End of lifespan deorbiting procedure. SpaceX plans to refresh the Starlink megaconstellation every five years with newer technology. At the end of their service, the old satellites will be steered into Earth's atmosphere where they will burn up.

Starlink satellites operate at exceptionally low altitudes for a communications network, ranging from 211 to 382 miles (340 to 614 kilometers). At the higher bound, it takes about five years for a Starlink satellite to naturally deorbit as the result of atmospheric drag.

SpaceX's Starlink satellite program touts itself as a source of reliable internet in hard-to-reach places. But there are some countries where Starlink's services aren't licensed, or where the company can't do business because of US sanctions.

Despite this mitigation, 38 of the 49 satellites could not be recovered from the low-drag configuration for orbit raising and subsequently re-entered the atmosphere and burned up on or about 07 February 2022. The loss of the Starlink satellites was noteworthy for several reasons.

The 23 Starlink satellites onboard this mission add to the 5,851 currently on orbit, according to astronomer and expert orbital tracker, Jonathan McDowell. Prior to this mission, 610 Starlink satellites were launched to low Earth orbit in 2024 over 27 missions.

Starlink, the internet venture from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, offers broadband connections to almost anyone on the planet through a growing network of low-orbiting satellites.

Starlink standard residential service is $120/mo. for unlimited data. Additional priority data packages cost $140 to $500 for a fixed location or more for a mobile plan. Equipment fees can range from $599 to $2,500 depending on the plan.

What is the lifespan of a Starlink satellite? ›

The average lifespan of a Starlink satellite is about 5 years. Being so close to the earth means that Starlink can offer low-latency connectivity but also means that Starlink satellites are more affected by drag caused by the earth's atmosphere.

Two things can happen to old satellites: For the closer satellites, engineers will use its last bit of fuel to slow it down so it will fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. Further satellites are instead sent even farther away from Earth.

The Starlink network is designed, owned and operated by SpaceX, the world's leading provider of launch services.

Starlink satellites are visible from the Earth if you know when to look. They move in a line across the sky like a line or a "train" of bright lights, but the line is only visible for a limited time after the launch.

Once the Starlink satellites reach an operating altitude of about 340 miles, they disperse and can look like stars in the night sky. Eventually, shields are deployed making them virtually impossible to see with the naked eye. The satellites do not have lights of their own.

The report predicted that by 2035, satellites from large networks like SpaceX's Starlink could fall to the Earth and cause "one person on the planet … to be injured or killed every two years." Satellites like those from Starlink are meant to burn up in Earth's atmosphere at the end of their service.

Nonetheless, Starlink satellites — now more than 5,000 strong — are streaking across astronomers' views of the cosmos, ruining their data. Even some telescopes in space aren't safe. Just last year a study found that about one-third of the Hubble Space Telescope's images could be ruined by satellites by 2030.

Starlink's recent performance oscillations have left many pondering one crucial factor often overlooked: weather interference. Adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain, snow, or even dense cloud cover, inherently challenge the integrity of satellite communications.

All Starlink satellites are designed to fall into Earth's atmosphere on their own in under five years from the time they are deployed due to the effects of atmospheric drag.