tech
December 20, 2025
A Starlink satellite seems to have exploded
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TL;DR
- SpaceX lost control of a Starlink satellite due to an anomaly, causing it to fall back to Earth.
- The anomaly involved a loss of communications, drop in altitude, and venting of the propulsion tank.
- The event is suspected to be an explosion and has released trackable objects.
- SpaceX states the satellite poses no threat to the ISS and will burn up in the atmosphere within weeks.
- Space-tracking company Leo Labs suggests an internal energetic source, not a collision, caused the anomaly.
- Tens of objects were detected around the satellite after the event by Leo Labs' radar network.
- The incident occurred in low Earth orbit (418 km), an area with over 24,000 tracked objects.
- Future satellite density in this region is projected to increase significantly, raising concerns about orbital crowding and collision risks.
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