SpaceX Starts Burning 3-4 Starlink Satellites Every Day
The American corporation SpaceX has begun to remove Starlink satellites from orbit more often. Astronomer Jonathan McDowell drew attention to this.
According to him, in January the company has been removing four to five satellites of the Starlink Internet project from orbit every day. The specialist noted that sometimes at night in the US one can see satellites burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Partially, a natural factor may work against SpaceX. In May 2024, a powerful solar flare was observed, which inflated the Earth’s atmosphere and destabilized thousands of satellites. Devices in low Earth orbit lost altitude and were forced to spend resources on returning. In addition, their electronic equipment could be damaged by ionizing radiation. SpaceX previously stated that the company’s policy is based on the principle of preventing malfunctions. Strict engineering monitoring of the condition of Starlink satellites forces the satellite to be decommissioned rather than allow its uncontrolled behavior, which could harm the group or other devices in space. This is an excessive measure, but it guarantees relative safety for everyone.
In January 2025, SpaceX destroyed 87 Starlink satellites. At the same time, the company produces 55 new devices weekly and is capable of launching up to 200 satellites per month. Thus, even burning a hundred satellites monthly, the overall rate of deployment of the constellation does not decrease.
