Starlink Satellite Malfunctions, Ejects Debris Fragments

A Starlink satellite has suffered a malfunction that caused it to eject a small amount of debris into Earth’s orbit, according to SpaceX.

Launched on Nov. 23, the Starlink satellite, 35956, “experienced an anomaly” on Wednesday while orbiting the Earth at 418 kilometers, “resulting in loss of communications,” SpaceX tweeted.

It’s unclear exactly what happened, but “the anomaly led to venting of the propulsion tank, a rapid decay in semi-major axis by about 4 km, and the release of a small number of trackable low relative velocity objects,” SpaceX says.

The statement raises questions about whether the satellite experienced a minor explosion or was struck by something. It also suggests the satellite can no longer maneuver with its built-in propulsion, even if contact is re-established.

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The incident caused the satellite to drop by about 4 kilometers. Although it remains largely intact, SpaceX says the vehicle is “tumbling and will reenter the Earth’s atmosphere and fully demise within weeks.” It’ll also fall below the International Space Station, “posing no risk to the orbiting lab or its crew,” the company added.

A relatively small number of Starlink satellites have experienced malfunctions when they were being retired, including propellant leaks and power failures, which the company has reported to the US Federal Communications Commission. Last year, SpaceX also de-orbited 100 satellites after an issue was identified that could cause them to later fail.

In this case, it looks like SpaceX issued the public warning about satellite 35956 because it released fragments that could pose an orbital hazard. The company is now coordinating with NASA and the US Space Force to track the debris. In its tweet, SpaceX added, “As the world’s largest satellite constellation operator, we are deeply committed to space safety.” The Starlink network currently spans over 9,000 orbiting satellites.

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“We take these events seriously. Our engineers are rapidly working to root cause and mitigate the source of the anomaly and are already in the process of deploying software to our vehicles that increases protections against this type of event,” SpaceX said.

Starlink satellites also faced a potential collision risk with a Chinese-deployed satellite last week. In response, the company has been calling for greater data sharing between satellite operators.

Starlink satellites have been designed to fully disintegrate upon reentering the Earth’s atmosphere. Earlier this year, the company retired hundreds of older satellites by plunging them into the atmosphere. Still, there’s a chance some small, but usually harmless fragments can survive re-entry, the company has previously said.