SpaceX’s Starlink said a satellite suffered an on-orbit anomaly on Dec. 17 that cut communications and generated a small amount of debris, with the company saying the spacecraft is expected to reenter the atmosphere and burn up within weeks.
In a statement on X, Starlink said it experienced an anomaly on satellite 35956, resulting in a loss of communications at 418 km altitude. Starlink said the event involved venting of the propulsion tank, a rapid change in orbit (a roughly 4 km decay in semi-major axis), and the release of a “small number” of trackable objects. The company said it is coordinating with the U.S. Space Force and NASA to monitor the objects.
Starlink said the satellite is “largely intact,” is tumbling, and will reenter Earth’s atmosphere and “fully demise within weeks.” It also said the satellite’s trajectory will remain below the International Space Station’s orbit, posing no risk to the lab or its crew.
In a thread on X, space-tracking company LeoLabs said its orbital diagnostics tools captured early evidence of the Starlink 35956 fragment-creation event and assessed that the satellite’s initial drop in altitude was likely caused by an internal energetic source rather than a collision. LeoLabs said its global radar network detected “tens of objects” in the vicinity after the event and that additional fragments may have been produced as analysis continues. LeoLabs added that because the event occurred at low altitude, fragments will likely de-orbit within a few weeks.
A Reuters report described the incident as a rare kinetic mishap in orbit for Starlink’s large satellite-internet constellation and said SpaceX did not provide a debris count.
What we can say
- Starlink says satellite 35956 suffered an anomaly on Dec. 17, causing a loss of communications at 418 km and creating a small number of trackable objects.
- Starlink says the satellite is expected to reenter and burn up within weeks, and that it remains below the ISS orbit.
- LeoLabs says it detected tens of objects near the satellite after the event and assessed the cause as likely internal, not a collision.
What we don’t know
- A confirmed debris count from U.S. Space Force tracking.
- Starlink’s root-cause determination beyond the company’s description of tank venting and ongoing mitigation.
Wider context
The number of satellites in low Earth orbit has surged as companies deploy large constellations, raising concerns about traffic management and debris risks. Starlink said it is deploying software updates to increase protections against similar events.
