SpaceX lowering 4,400 Starlink satellites from 342 to 298 miles altitude in 2026 to reduce collision risk and speed up debris reentry by 80% as solar minimum approaches.

SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety's sake

A stack of SpaceX Starlink satellites before being deployed into Earth orbit. (Image credit: SpaceX) We'll see a mass migration of SpaceX Starlink satellites this year.All Starlink broadband spacecraft currently orbiting 342 miles (550 kilometers) or so above Earth — about 4,400 satellites — will descend to an altitude of roughly 298 miles (480 km) over the course of 2026."As solar mininum approaches, atmospheric density decreases, which means the ballistic decay time at any given altitude incre...