As of January 2026, SpaceX’s Starlink constellation has approximately 9,500 active satellites in orbit. A satellite launched from northwestern China had a near-miss with a Starlink satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). We are lowering all Starlink satellites orbiting at ~550 km to ~480 km (~4400 satellites) over the course of 2026.”This will reduce the “aggregate likelihood of collision,” he added. We are lowering all @Starlink satellites orbiting at ~550 km to ~480 km (~4400 satellites) over the course of 2026. Notably, Starlink satellites are designed to autonomously avoid other objects using onboard systems and Hall-effect thrusters, which use electric and magnetic fields to accelerate propellant.