SpaceX destroys 260 Starlink satellites in six months! Atmospheric reentry burning becomes routine, environmental groups protest impact on ozone layer.

SpaceX submitted a report to the FCC confirming that over the past six months, a total of 260 Starlink satellites were deorbited and completely vaporized through controlled atmospheric reentry. As the satellite fleet surpasses 10k, "burning satellites daily" has become the operational norm, although concerns about atmospheric pollution are also emerging.
(Previous context: SpaceX COO hinted that a merger with Tesla is not ruled out, and the first AI computing satellite will launch by the end of 2027)
(Background: How does SpaceX's space data center dissipate heat? Engineers scoff that it's impossible; Musk says there are over 10,000 operational satellites)

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• Satellite Weight and Disposal Method
• Growing Concerns About Atmospheric Environment
• Ambition to Expand to 42,000 Satellites

In a semi-annual report submitted to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in July this year, SpaceX confirmed that between December 2025 and May 2026, a total of 260 Starlink satellites were disposed of by controlled reentry into Earth's atmosphere, where extreme frictional heat completely vaporized the spacecraft.

The report states that 176 of these were first-generation Starlink satellites, and the rest were second-generation. During the same period, another 349 satellites have completed decommissioning procedures and will be disposed of over the coming months. Starlink currently has over 10,000 operational satellites in orbit, a massive fleet.

Each satellite has a design life of about 5 years, intentionally designed to allow regular replacement with newer models. When a satellite's fuel is exhausted, the system automatically initiates a controlled deorbit, lowering its orbit and causing it to reenter the atmosphere, where it is 100% incinerated by high-temperature friction, leaving no debris. Due to the constellation's size, Starlink reportedly disposes of multiple satellites every day.

Satellite Weight and Disposal Method

In terms of satellite weight, first-generation satellites weigh approximately 260 to 295 kg, while second-generation satellites weigh 800 to 1,250 kg. SpaceX states that recovering these deorbited satellites is technically infeasible and financially inefficient, so they choose incineration as the disposal method.

In comparison, during the previous six-month period from December 2024 to May 2025, SpaceX removed over 472 satellites, indicating that the current figure of 260, though startling, represents a decrease from the prior cycle.

Growing Concerns About Atmospheric Environment

This large-scale incineration of satellites has raised concerns in the scientific community about its impact on the atmospheric environment. Researchers are calling for deeper study and regulation of the environmental impact of satellites. Historically, the FCC has excluded satellites from environmental review, citing the need to avoid slowing the space race with regulations.

Currently, the FCC has formally proposed classifying space activities as "extraterritorial activities," arguing that their impacts occur entirely outside U.S. jurisdiction and thus should be exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This proposal has not yet been approved but has sparked strong opposition from environmental groups.

Ambition to Expand to 42,000 Satellites

In terms of expansion plans, SpaceX's long-term goal is to deploy up to 42,000 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, and in January 2026, it received FCC approval to launch an additional 7,500 second-generation satellites.

At the same time, SpaceX also announced the A1 satellite orbital data center project, which has a computing load capacity of 120 kW. To support this ambition, the company is building a Gigasat manufacturing facility spanning 11 million square feet, dedicated to producing such satellites.

As the number of Starlink satellites continues to grow, satellite deorbit incineration may shift from "occasional" to "routine" — if deployment reaches 42,000 satellites, more than 8,000 satellites per year will burn up in the atmosphere, and the impact on Earth's upper atmosphere can no longer be ignored.