SpaceX said that 260 Starlink satellites reentered Earth’s atmosphere during the six-month reporting period of December 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. That figure was included in the latest semiannual constellation status report that the company filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The operation highlights the increasing difficulty of managing a vast satellite network and clearing old or inoperative spacecraft from low Earth orbit.
Persona 4 Revival Game Showcases New Videos Featuring Protagonist and Rise Ahead of Release Update Hundreds of Starlink satellites were deorbited.
The 260 satellites that re-entered the atmosphere were first and second generation Starlink spacecraft. The reported figures show 176 were from the first generation and the remaining 84 from the new generation. The filing also revealed that hundreds more satellites already had been removed from active service and were in various stages of the disposal process.
Decommissioning satellites is a routine part of a large LEO constellation’s operations. Spacecraft can be decommissioned when their useful life ends , when they develop technical problems or are superseded by newer craft . And with a big active network like Starlink, you can have launches and satellite retirements going on at the same time as SpaceX is always refreshing and expanding the system.
How the Starlink Deorbit Process Works
These Starlink satellites are supposed to be deorbited instead of just floating in orbit as pieces of debris. Functional spacecraft can fire their onboard propulsion, and lower their altitude, and begin a planned descent. The drag increases , and the satellite drops faster and faster , as it encounters denser and denser layers of the atmosphere , until it reenters .
SpaceX has also described a targeted reentry plan that would guide deorbiting satellites to remote areas of the ocean, far from populated areas and busy transportation routes. The company’s spacecraft are engineered to demise in the atmosphere; they break apart and burn up and burn up on reentry and not leave large objects in orbit.
Starlink’s Size Means a Big Job for Satellite Cleanup
The scale of Starlink means that satellite disposal is a continuing operation, not an occasional event. Tracking estimates put the number of Starlink satellites above 10,000 in orbit by June 2026, making it the world’s largest active satellite constellation by far. Such a network would require constant monitoring , collision avoidance , orbital adjustments and retirement planning .
SpaceX has also been working on a broader strategy for orbital safety. Earlier this year, the company said it would lower the altitude of some 4,400 satellites from about 550 kilometers to about 480 kilometers. The lower altitude is anticipated to decrease the time it takes for failed satellites to naturally deorbit, and put spacecraft into an area with fewer tracked debris objects and planned satellite constellations.
Priyanshu Naithani writes about the fast-moving world of technology, including gadgets, apps, software, cybersecurity, digital trends, artificial intelligence, and innovation. His coverage is designed to make complex tech topics easier to understand and more useful for everyday readers.