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SpaceX's recent report indicates Starlink satellites executed 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers from December 2023 to May 2024, reflecting increasing traffic in orbit and raising concerns about potential risks.
SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Trigger 50,000 Collision-Avoidance Maneuvers, Highlighting Rising Orbital Traffic Risks
The recent report by SpaceX indicates that its Starlink satellites are conducting many collision-avoidance maneuvers daily. This has prompted inquiries regarding the increased traffic in orbit and how companies prevent disasters.
SpaceX reported in its Semiannual Constellation Status Report, submitted on July 1, that each Starlink satellite had fired its thrusters an average of 14 times between December 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024.
The Earth is orbited by approximately 6,200 active Starlink satellites, translating to approximately 50,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers during that time.
Space.com initially reported on the frequency of avoidance maneuvers and observed that the increasing frequency of these maneuvers raises genuine concerns regarding potential traffic-related risks in orbit.
Expert Notes Doubling of Starlink Avoidance Maneuvers Due to Lowered Thresholds Despite Satellite Increase
According to Teslarati, the site interviewed Hugh Lewis, an astronautics professor at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. He stated that the number of avoidance maneuvers has doubled compared to the same period a year ago, primarily due to the reduction of maneuvering thresholds.
“Starlink satellites would have made approximately 25,000 maneuvers in the period from December 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024, if the threshold remained the same. This is about the same as in the previous two semiannual reports, despite the increasing number of satellites in the constellation.”
Every six months, the quantity of maneuvering increases has remained constant. According to Space.com, “During the first four years after the first Starlink launch, the number of evasive maneuvers kept doubling every six months, reaching 25,299 in the half-year leading up to May 31, 2023. Between May and December 2023, the number of maneuvers remained the same despite the increase in the number of satellites.”
The completed mega constellation that SpaceX aspires to construct could contain up to 42,000 Starlink satellites, enabling high-speed internet access in all regions.
