Starlink Satellites Still Dodging Orbital Debris From Russian Missile Test

The debris from the test has forced Starlink satellites to maneuver over 1,700 times.

The cloud of debris from Russia’s anti-satellite missile test last year continues to pose an orbital hazard to SpaceX’s Starlink system.

"SpaceX is now maneuvering more for Cosmos 1408 debris than for any other objects in space," the company told the FCC last week.

Cosmos 1408(Opens in a new window) refers to the satellite the Russian military decided to destroy in a controversial missile test last November. The resulting impact semt thousands of debris pieces spilling out across Earth’s orbit at speeds capable of destroying other satellites in orbit.

At the time, SpaceX altered the orbits of the company’s own Starlink satellites, which currently number at over 2,300. Last Friday, SpaceX provided the FCC an update on the situation via a report that covers the performance of the Starlink constellation between December and May.

According to the report(Opens in a new window), Spacex conducted 6,873 maneuvers with Starlink satellites during the six-month period. The bulk of those manuevers focused on avoiding orbital debris from the Cosmos 1408 missile test.

“In fact, over the reporting period, SpaceX satellites maneuvered over 1,700 times for Cosmos 1408 debris,” the company said. However, the onboard collision system on the Starlink satellites “was deftly able to adjust to and accommodate this significant influx of debris."

The debris from Cosmos 1408 is expected to remain an orbital hazard for years, if not decades. According(Opens in a new window) to LEO Labs, much of the debris also occupies an altitude of 300 to 800 kilometers, while Starlink satellites orbit in the same range at an altitude of about 550 kilometers.

For now, SpaceX pointed out that none of the 6,873 maneuvers it undertook with Starlink led to any collisions. In addition, the company will only initiate a satellite maneuver if the probability of collision is greater than a 1 in 100,000 chance. Nevertheless, the company is warning the FCC that more needs to be done to keep space safe.

“SpaceX reiterates that it cannot maintain a sustainable orbital environment unilaterally and without non-US-firms participating; no operator, and indeed no country, can do so,” the company’s report added. As a result, SpaceX is urging other satellite players to also submit transparency reports to the FCC.

“Only with all operators working together can we truly maintain the space environment for future operations and human space flight,” the company said.

The report also notes SpaceX de-orbited and disposed of dozens of Starlink satellites during the six-month period. The company didn’t explicitly say why, but the report says: “SpaceX has a bias towards de-orbiting and replacing satellites whenever doing so will improve service for consumers on the ground or enhance the sustainability of space.”

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