Elon Musk’s SpaceX under fire as Starlink satellites fall to Earth at alarming rate

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is facing mounting criticism as reports reveal that its Starlink satellites are plummeting to Earth at an increasingly rapid pace, raising environmental and safety concerns over the growing problem of space debris.

According to Space.com, as of September 25, more than 8,475 Starlink satellites have been launched into orbit, with approximately 8,460 still operational.

However, astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks the satellites, has observed a worrying trend, i.e., one to two satellites are now falling from orbit every day, a rate that could rise to five per day in the near future.

McDowell noted that while many reentries occur in remote areas or on the ocean, the growing number of incidents shared on social media suggests the issue is becoming increasingly visible.

He also noted that while Starlink satellites are “designed to completely burn up” during reentry, in practice, “we’re not sure they really do, at least most of them melt.”

Experts warn that the mounting number of reentries poses serious environmental risks, including toxic metal emissions from both operational satellites and rocket launches.

The Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has estimated that satellite-related emissions are equivalent to “seven million diesel dump trucks circling the globe each year.”

Astronomers have also cautioned that SpaceX’s massive satellite fleet could trigger Kessler syndrome, a catastrophic chain reaction of orbital collisions capable of creating vast debris fields and disrupting global communications.