The vastness of space may lead one to believe that there is enough room for anything to be placed into orbit. However, SpaceX and Starlink engineers would argue that it’s not that simple. According to a recent FCC report filed by Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider, Starlink, more than 25,000 collision avoidance maneuvers were completed by the 4,000-plus Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit between December 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023. These maneuvers are triggered when there is a risk of collision with space debris or another satellite, with SpaceX setting the threshold at a one in 100,000 chance.
As Space.com reports, the FCC report reveals that an average of 137 course adjustments are made daily, which translates to one adjustment roughly every 10 minutes. This problem is not expected to improve over time. Hugh Lewis, an astronautics professor, predicts an exponential growth in these maneuvers, stating that the number of maneuvers being made doubles every six months. If this trend continues, there could be 50,000 maneuvers in the next six-month period, then 100,000, 200,000, and so on.
This means that Starlink satellites will need to become increasingly nimble. According to Lewis, within five years, Starlink satellites will have to maneuver nearly a million times in a half-year to minimize the risk of orbital collisions. Considering SpaceX’s goal of launching a total of 42,000 satellites, near-Earth orbit is becoming a very crowded place. Starlink’s internet satellites are not the only ones facing these challenges.
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