Astronomers have accumulated observations of constellation satellites and run computer simulations of their likely impact to thoroughly understand the magnitude and complexity of the problem. This research informed the discussion at the Satellite Constellations workshops (SATCON1 and SATCON2) and led to recommendations for observatories and constellation operators. (Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld)

A Whole Bunch of Satellites Could Crash Out of Orbit in Just 5 Days

Image credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld By Elizabeth Rayne, Publsihed by Popular Mechanics, 6 February 2026 The CRASH Clock is a new predictor of how much time there will be before a collision if a solar storm knocks out power and makes satellites impossible to maneuver. Here’s what you’ll learn when you

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A composite image showing rows of Starlink satellites awaiting deployment into low Earth orbit in front of a picture of Earth taken from the International Space Station. (Image credit: SpaceX via X)

SpaceX lowering orbits of 4,400 Starlink satellites for safety’s sake

A composite image showing rows of Starlink satellites awaiting deployment into low Earth orbit in front of a picture of Earth taken from the International Space Station. (Image credit: SpaceX via X) By MIke Wall, Published by Space.com, 2 January 2026 "Lowering the satellites results in condensing Starlink orbits, and

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Astronomers have accumulated observations of constellation satellites and run computer simulations of their likely impact to thoroughly understand the magnitude and complexity of the problem. This research informed the discussion at the Satellite Constellations workshops (SATCON1 and SATCON2) and led to recommendations for observatories and constellation operators. (Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld)

Crash clock says satellites in orbit are three days from disaster

Illustration Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Marenfeld By Jonathan O'Callaghan, Published by New Scientist, 16 December 2025 Satellites in orbit would begin to collide in a matter of days if they lost manoeuvrability during a solar storm or other outage A collision would occur in just 2.8 days if all satellites lost their

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2.8 days to disaster: Why we are running out of time in low earth orbit

Paths of Starlink satellites as of Feb 2024. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio. By Andy Tomaswick, Published by Phys.org, 15 December 2025 A "House of Cards" is a wonderful English phrase that it seems is now primarily associated with a Netflix political drama. However, its original meaning is of a

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An artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites in orbit. (Image credit: SpaceX)

Solar storms are knocking Starlink satellites out of orbit, scientists warn

An artist's illustration of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites in orbit. (Image credit: SpaceX) By Paulina Okunyte, Published by cybernews, 2 June 2025 As Elon Musk floods the sky with satellites, scientists say the Sun is quietly pulling them back down. On Saturday night (May 31st), SpaceX launched another 27 satellites

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Solar storms that led to dazzling auroras threatened to destroy thousands of satellites around Earth

A solar storm - Jurik Peter/Shutterstock By Vishwam Sankaran, Published by MSN, 24 July 2024 Solar storms that led to dazzling auroras worldwide in May caused many satellites to lose altitude, putting them at risk of collision, a new study said. The research, accepted for publication in the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, calls for

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