A SpaceX Starlink satellite experienced an anomaly in its orbit on Wednesday (December 17), causing it to lose communication with the vehicle at an altitude of 418 kilometers, according to Space.com.
SpaceX-owned Starlink said the incident resulted in “venting of the propellant tank, a rapid descent of the semi-major axis by approximately 4 km, and the release of a small number of low-velocity, trackable objects.” This suggests possible damage to the satellite’s propulsion tank, they report Noi.md with reference to .
SpaceX is working with NASA and the US Space Force to track the resulting fragments, but company representatives stress that there is no cause for concern: the satellite is largely intact and will completely disintegrate in the atmosphere in a few weeks. Its trajectory will place it below the International Space Station without posing any danger to the crew or the orbiting laboratory.
Starlink is the largest satellite constellation in the world, with approximately 9,300 active vehicles, representing approximately 65% of all operational satellites in Earth orbit. Their number is constantly growing, with SpaceX launching over 3,000 satellites in 122 missions in 2025.
The company said it takes space safety seriously and is implementing software updates to protect satellites against such incidents. Also, Starlink systems automatically avoid collisions, performing about 145,000 avoidance maneuvers in the first six months of 2025, an average of four for each satellite per month.
The affected satellite has an estimated lifespan of about five years, and the company’s measures demonstrate SpaceX’s commitment to reducing the growing risk of space debris.
