Starlink announced plans to reconfigure its satellite constellation by lowering orbital altitude over the course of 2026, Reuters reported.

The company revealed that all satellites currently orbiting at around 550 kilometers will be moved to approximately 480 kilometers. The update was shared by Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink engineering.

According to Nicolls, the move is aimed at improving space safety. He said lowering satellite orbits would reduce congestion and decrease the risk of collisions in low Earth orbit.

The decision follows an incident disclosed in December. Starlink said one of its satellites experienced an anomaly in space, creating a small amount of debris and cutting off communications with the spacecraft at an altitude of about 418 kilometers, Reuters reported.

The company said the satellite, part of its broadband internet network, quickly dropped around four kilometers in altitude. This suggested that some form of onboard explosion may have occurred, marking a rare kinetic accident in orbit for the satellite internet operator.

Nicolls said condensing the satellite constellation below 500 kilometers would increase space safety in several ways. He added that the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower at these altitudes, reducing the overall likelihood of collisions.

The number of spacecraft in Earth’s orbit has risen sharply in recent years as companies and governments race to deploy tens of thousands of satellites for internet services, communications, and Earth observation, according to Reuters.

SpaceX, long known for its rocket launch business, has become the world’s largest satellite operator through Starlink. The network includes nearly 10,000 satellites providing broadband internet to consumers, governments, and enterprise customers, Reuters reported.

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