Lowering the Orbit of Starlink Satellites
The Starlink company, owned by Elon Musk, plans to lower the orbit of its satellites from 550 to 480 km in 2026. This decision was made to reduce risks in near-Earth space. The lowering of the orbit will affect about 4,400 satellites currently at this altitude.
One of the reasons for this step was an incident in December, when one of the satellites experienced an anomaly in orbit, leading to the formation of a small amount of debris. During this incident, communication with the device, which was at an altitude of about 418 km, was lost. This satellite was part of a network that includes nearly 10,000 devices.
Improving Space Safety
Expert Michael Nichols noted that lowering the satellites leads to the narrowing of Starlink orbits and will enhance space safety in several ways. This step demonstrates the company's commitment to ensuring safer conditions for satellite operations in near-Earth space. Such measures can significantly reduce the risks of collisions between satellites and other objects in orbit.
The lowering of Starlink satellites' orbits is an important step towards improving the safety of near-Earth space, which is crucial in light of the growing number of space objects. This decision also underscores the responsibility of companies involved in space technologies for the safe use of orbits, which may affect the future development of space infrastructure and regulation. Reducing collision risks can become a vital component in ensuring the stability and safety of space missions in the future.