In a statement released via X, Starlink Vice President of Engineering Michael Nicholls announced a significant reconfiguration of the Starlink satellite constellation, confirming plans to lower approximately 4,400 satellites from an orbit of 550 km to 480 km during 2026. This was reported by SatNews, writes UNN.
Details
This maneuver, which covers almost half of the operator's active fleet, is designed to increase space safety in conditions of a gradual decline in solar activity. Nicholls emphasized that the lowering of the orbital layer is "closely coordinated" with the US Space Command (USSPACECOM), regulators, and other operators in orbit to prevent traffic conflicts during descent.
Orbital Mechanics and Solar Minimum
The decision is driven by the physics of the solar cycle. As the solar minimum approaches, the density of the atmosphere in low Earth orbit decreases, which significantly prolongs the ballistic deorbit time — that is, the period during which a faulty satellite naturally deorbits due to aerodynamic drag.
According to Nicholls, lowering the operational orbital layer to 480 km will reduce the ballistic deorbit time by more than 80% during the solar minimum. While an uncontrolled deorbit from 550 km under low solar activity conditions can take more than four years, satellites at the new altitude of 480 km will re-enter the atmosphere within a few months.
Fleet Reliability and Orbital Congestion
The reconfiguration also aims to move the megaconstellation away from the increasingly congested 500–600 km orbital corridor, where the cumulative probability of collisions with space debris and other planned systems is higher.
Nicholls reported that the Starlink fleet currently consists of over 9,000 operational satellites with a high level of reliability, noting that only two "dead" satellites are in orbit. The transition to a lower orbital layer ensures that in the event of a platform failure, the spacecraft will quickly leave orbit, reducing the risks associated with uncoordinated maneuvers or debris formation.