SpaceX Reports Controlled Deorbit of 260 Starlink Satellites in FCC Filing

WASHINGTON, D.C.: SpaceX has confirmed that it carried out the controlled atmospheric deorbit of 260 Starlink satellites between December 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, according to a semi-annual compliance filing submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The filing says the satellites were intentionally brought back into the atmosphere through controlled maneuvers as part of the company's satellite disposal process.

SpaceX Deorbits 260 Starlink Satellites

According to the filing, all 260 satellites completed automated deorbit maneuvers using onboard Hall-effect thrusters powered by krypton or argon. The controlled descent lowered the satellites into dense layers of the atmosphere, where they burned up completely, helping prevent inactive satellites from remaining in low Earth orbit.

The filing says the retired satellites were mainly early-generation Starlink v1.0 and v1.5 spacecraft launched between 2019 and 2021. SpaceX said these satellites had either reached their planned five-year operational lifespan or showed early battery and telemetry degradation.

The company said the retirements were part of its planned replacement cycle and not the result of a broader hardware failure. According to the filing, SpaceX recorded a post-mission disposal reliability rate of more than 99%, with most retired satellites completing their descent within six months of receiving deorbit commands.

Filing Highlights Environmental Concerns

The filing says the growing number of satellite deorbits has become part of a wider regulatory discussion involving the FCC, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO). It also outlines concerns raised by researchers and environmental groups, including:

• Alumina particulate accumulation: Researchers have raised concerns that alumina particles produced when satellites burn up in the atmosphere could affect the upper atmosphere.

• NEPA environmental assessment demands: Environmental groups are calling for changes that could require satellite constellation operators to complete environmental impact statements before receiving launch approvals.

SpaceX Replaces Older Satellites

According to the filing, SpaceX is replacing older spacecraft with Starlink v2 Mini and Block 3 satellites.

The filing says the newer satellite designs are intended to expand network capacity. It also states that they are built to support orbital edge computing, artificial intelligence processing and secure military communications through specialized payloads.

Source: [satnews]