SpaceX plans to retire these units early due to unspecified flaws found in earlier models of Starlink satellites, lest their possible failure become an obstacle to low-Earth orbit.
SpaceX's decommissioning of Starlink satellites is a regular mission; The company, led by Elon Musk, has initiated a process for the disposal of 406 units of nearly 6,000 launched satellites. Seventeen of them are currently unable to maneuver, but are expected to naturally decay and eventually burn up in the Earth's atmosphere in the coming years. However, the decision to decommission about 100 satellites at once in a short period of time is certainly unusual.
SpaceX plans to launch these controlled declines in the coming weeks and months, and said the entire process will take about six months to complete. The selected units are all Starlink satellites from earlier version 1, "which can currently maneuver and serve users effectively, but the Starlink team has identified common problems in this small group of satellites that may increase the probability of future failure." "The nature of the specific issue was not disclosed. In its statement, SpaceX assured its customers that the Starlink service will remain uninterrupted and that the satellites will still be able to avoid collisions with other satellites during the decommissioning phase. Replacing these affected units is also not a problem, and SpaceX is now able to launch up to 200 Starlink satellites per month.
Currently, there are 5,402 functioning Starlink satellites operating in low Earth orbit (LEO), with the earliest batch launched in 2019. These satellites are designed to connect directly to terrestrial receivers and provide Internet services to customers through tablet user terminals. The existing fleet consists of thousands of units, but SpaceX plans to deploy tens of thousands of satellites.
Starlink satellites operate at unusually low altitudes in the communications network, ranging from 211 to 382 miles (340 to 614 kilometers). At the high end, the time required for the natural retirement of Starlink satellites is about five years due to the effects of atmospheric drag. However, a controlled decommissioning facilitated by an on-board propulsion system is "much shorter and safer than a similar ballistic decommissioning at the same altitude," SpaceX said.
The decision to retire so many satellites at once was made for safety reasons. "While this proactive approach means the loss of satellites that effectively serve users, we believe it is the right thing to do to keep space safe and sustainable, and SpaceX encourages all satellite owners and operators to safely retire satellites before they become unmaneuverable. ”
In 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a new rule requiring satellites in LEO to be retired within five years of completing their mission. This means that satellites launched after September 29, 2024, will be subject to the new five-year retirement rule. This rule is a dramatic change from the previous guidelines that allowed satellites to be retired up to 25 years after the end of a mission.