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Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp. guided 260 Starlink satellites to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere between Dec. 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, according to a semiannual compliance report filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). <\/p>\n
SpaceX Retires Satellites As Starlink Fleet Grows <\/p>\n
The filing said 176 satellites belonged to the first-generation Starlink constellation, while the rest came from the Gen2 fleet. Another 349 satellites were decommissioned in the same period and are expected to be disposed of in the coming months. <\/p>\n
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Starlink operates more than 10,000 satellites as SpaceX expands the network and pushes Starlink Mobile, a direct-to-phone service. The satellites are designed to last about five years, letting SpaceX swap aging spacecraft for newer models as fuel runs low. <\/p>\n
At the end of life, a Starlink satellite uses remaining fuel to lower its orbit. Atmospheric drag pulls it down, where heat and friction burn up the spacecraft rather than leaving dead hardware in low Earth orbit. <\/p>\n
Reentries Become Routine Across Massive Constellation <\/p>\n
The pace is now routine. Starlink removed more than 472 satellite links from orbit between December 2024 and May 2025. Retrieval is impractical, SpaceX says, because first-generation units weigh about 573 to 650 pounds, while second-generation versions weigh about 1,764 to 2,756 pounds. <\/p>\n
A total of 1,357 Starlink satellites have re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned up, according to tracking data compiled by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell. <\/p>\n
Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your ‘Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time<\/a> <\/p>\n The disposals come as SpaceX seeks a much larger Starlink network. In January, the FCC approved 7,500 additional Gen2 satellites, while SpaceX has long discussed a constellation that could eventually reach 42,000 satellites. <\/p>\n AI Data Center Plans Raise Stakes <\/p>\n The burnups also intersect with SpaceX’s newer AI ambitions. Elon Musk wants orbital data centers to bypass Earth’s strained power grids. SpaceX has sought FCC permission for up to 1 million compute satellites, unveiled an AI1 design and outlined a Terafab chip project in Bastrop, Texas, intended to produce 1 terawatt of processors annually. <\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n SpaceX expects specialized facilities to assemble AI satellites by late 2027, with initial orbital compute launches targeted for 2028 and a longer-term goal of 100 gigawatts of annual orbital compute capacity. <\/p>\n Photo courtesy: Thrive Studios ID via Shutterstock <\/p>\n Read Next:\u00a0 <\/p>\n Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market <\/p>\n Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. 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