Better Signal: 1,600 Starlink Satellites Move Into Lower Orbits

Starlink subscribers can expect lower latency and improved signal quality as the company moves 1,600 satellites into lower orbits.

On Wednesday, astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell reported that a large collection of Starlink satellites has been descending, cutting the distance for the satellite beams to reach Earth.

The satellites were previously orbiting the Earth at 550 kilometers (341 miles). But now McDowell says 652 of the satellites have been lowered to 480-kilometer orbits, while another 972 satellites “are currently on the way down,” he wrote.

In response, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted back: “Tighter beams and better signal quality.”

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In January, the company revealed it was lowering all 4,400 Starlink satellites at the 550-kilometer range down to 480km orbits over the course of 2026. The main aim is to increase space safety and decrease the time it takes for a retired satellite to naturally deorbit and burn up in the atmosphere. “Correspondingly, the number of debris objects and planned satellite constellations is significantly lower below 500 km, reducing the aggregate likelihood of collision,” SpaceX executive Michael Nicolls tweeted at the time.

Another benefit is that the lower orbits should reduce the latency for Starlink as well. Musk has long talked about reducing Starlink’s latency to under 20 milliseconds. In some parts of the US, the latency is already at 20ms, according to the company’s own data.

(Credit: Starlink.com)

McDowell also told PCMag that some Starlink satellites are already in a lower 480-kilometer orbit, possibly starting in 2024. “Currently, there are 2,926 in the high orbit, 3,827 in the 480-ish km shell,” he said.

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One Starlink group launching and then lowering to a 480km orbit starting in spring of 2024. (Credit: McDowell )

In January, satellite industry analyst Tim Farrar noted a regulation from the International Telecommunications Union can let SpaceX deviate a satellite “by up to 70km from the notified altitude.” An FCC order from November 2022 also didn’t seem to object to the company orbiting second-generation Starlink satellites below 500km as part of an “orbital tolerance” request.

Most recently, the FCC in January partially cleared a SpaceX plan to offer gigabit speeds through next-generation Starlink satellites, which have been allowed to orbit as low as 340km.

The company aims to launch these next-gen “V3” satellites late in Q4, though this depends on progress with the Starship rocket. In the meantime, McDowell’s data shows over 8,000 Starlink satellites in operational orbits. The remaining ones, at nearly 2,000 satellites, are facing retirement or moving into or out of operational orbits.