The company will move about 4,400 satellites from roughly 550 kilometres above Earth down to around 480 kilometres over the course of 2026. 

The change affects nearly half of the more than 9,000 Starlink satellites currently in operation and marks one of the largest coordinated orbital shifts ever attempted.

SpaceX says the decision is about risk control. At lower altitudes, failed satellites fall back to Earth much faster, reducing the chance they remain as long-term debris. 

There is also less traffic below 500 kilometres, which lowers the odds of accidental collisions in an increasingly crowded region of space.

Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink engineering, said: “Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and will increase space safety in several ways,” adding that “the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 km, reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision.”

This is a response to challenges that have been building for years. In December 2025, one Starlink satellite suffered what SpaceX described as an anomaly at about 418 kilometres in altitude. 

The spacecraft lost contact and dropped rapidly, suggesting an onboard explosion. Debris was created, rare but serious for a company operating at such scale. 

Around the same period, another Starlink satellite narrowly avoided colliding with a Chinese spacecraft, revealing how thin the margins have become.

Space scientists point to the approaching solar minimum, a phase when the Sun is less active. During this period, Earth’s upper atmosphere contracts, reducing drag on satellites. 

Objects in orbit then stay aloft longer unless they are placed lower. By shifting Starlink down now, SpaceX is ensuring its satellites do not linger in space if something fails.

The reconfiguration is being coordinated with the United States Space Command, regulators, and other satellite operators. With thousands of spacecraft adjusting altitude, traffic management becomes urgent. A single miscalculation could trigger a chain reaction.

SpaceX’s place in orbit makes its choices hard to ignore. In 2025 alone, the company carried out more than 160 Falcon 9 launches, with over 120 missions dedicated to expanding Starlink. 

The network now serves about 9.25 million customers across more than 155 countries, including governments and large organisations. No other operator comes close in scale.

Analysts estimate that by 2030, up to 70,000 satellites could be operating in low Earth orbit if current plans hold. Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb, and several national programmes are all adding to the congestion. 

Regulators and scientists warn of a “tragedy of the commons”, where unmanaged growth makes parts of orbit unsafe for everyone, including weather, navigation, and scientific missions.

With the launch of SITA Managed Satellites, airports around the world can now maintain vital communication at all times, even during blackouts, natural disasters, or in the most remote or infrastructure-limited locations.

The fully managed service is now available in over 130 countries, offering primary, secondary, and emergency connectivity options tailored specifically for the air transport industry.

It takes advantage of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver secure, high-bandwidth, low-latency communications that keep airport systems running continuously. This is also the case when other networks are struggling or completely offline.

SITA Managed Satellites doesn’t only support regular networks that are in high demand. Recent global events have shown just how vulnerable traditional fiber and terrestrial networks can be. From earthquakes to extreme weather and fiber cuts, many airports, large and small, have experienced partial or complete outages.

Even in major hubs, network congestion during peak periods can strain bandwidth and disrupt key services. SITA’s new satellite solution addresses these risks directly, giving airport and airline teams a way to keep operations running when it matters most.

SITA Managed Satellites provides a fast, cost-effective way to deploy connectivity wherever it’s needed, including off-airport locations, aircraft maintenance hangars, cargo hubs, and even remote sites without existing digital infrastructure.

It also unlocks temporary service for new route openings, seasonal operations, or rapid emergency deployments. This makes sure that ground crews and systems are never out of touch.

“The quality and availability of the latest satellite technology means that it’s becoming a vital component within high availability networks. Airports, in particular, need new ways to ensure they can maintain critical operations in whatever circumstances they face – even when adverse incidents strike,” said Martin Smillie, Senior Vice President, Communications and Data Exchange at SITA. “Delivering high-speed internet connectivity via established satellite providers, SITA Managed Satellites allows customers to optimize operational performance. SITA Managed Satellites is an innovative solution to keep all parts of the aviation industry connected to vital platforms – even in the most challenging of times – and can be adapted for other transport sectors and markets also. It delivers a blend of availability and cost-effectiveness to optimize investments in any cloud, on-premises or hybrid computing environment.”

SITA’s global team provides 24/7 monitoring, installation, maintenance, and support. The solution also integrates with other SITA connectivity services, offering customers a flexible, bundled approach to network resilience.

Key features include:

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With aviation more reliant than ever on uninterrupted digital operations, SITA Managed Satellites gives customers the confidence and tools they need to keep critical systems live, even in the most unpredictable conditions.