SpaceX will lower Starlink satellites to reduce collision risk
TL;DR
SpaceX will lower 4,400 Starlink satellites from 550km to 480km to reduce collision risks and ensure faster deorbiting, following recent incidents.
After one of its Starlink satellites exploded and another narrowly avoided colliding with a Chinese satellite, SpaceX says it will lower the orbit of thousands of Starlink satellites to increase safety.
Of the over 9,000 Starlink satellites currently operating in low Earth orbit, SpaceX says it'll lower about 4,400 from 550km above the Earth's surface to about 480km in the months ahead. This ensures the satellites deorbit faster when something goes wrong or when they reach end of life, and it also reduces the likelihood of collision since "the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500km," …