Musk's Starlink Satellites Fall to Earth at a Dangerous Rate

SadaNews - Space trackers have revealed that up to four satellites from Elon Musk's massive "Starlink" constellation are falling to Earth daily.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the United States, recorded the exit of between one and two Starlink satellites from their orbits daily in 2025, according to a report by the "Independent" newspaper.

This number is expected to rise to about five satellites daily as SpaceX continues to expand its satellite internet constellation.

Videos of Starlink satellites falling to Earth have spread across social media in recent weeks, raising concerns that they could pose a danger to people on the ground.

Currently, about 20,000 objects are tracked in low Earth orbit, including 12,000 active satellites – 8,500 of which are Starlink satellites.

With a lifespan of about five years, the Starlink satellites are specifically designed to burn up completely in the Earth's atmosphere before reaching the ground. Therefore, while these events may seem concerning as they pass through the sky, they are not dangerous.

However, Dr. McDowell warned that the return of other objects to the atmosphere could pose a significant threat, given that their operators do not have control over them.

In an interview with the space news magazine "EarthSky," he said: "Every few months, a piece of space equipment is reported to have returned to Earth as debris... So, these random strikes on people on the ground occur several times a year, and we have been very lucky that no one has been hit... but this will not last long."

While the removal of Starlink satellites from orbit may not pose a direct danger to humans, Dr. McDowell confirmed that it is considered a real problem.

Scientists are still trying to understand the impact of this rate of orbital exit on the Earth's atmosphere. Pollutants resulting from burning processes, such as aluminum oxide particles, may contribute to warming the atmosphere.