A Smithsonian astrophysicist has warned that one to two SpaceX Starlink satellites now fall to Earth every day, raising global concerns about space debris and atmospheric pollution.
A leading astrophysicist has warned that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are falling to Earth at an alarming rate, adding to growing fears about orbital pollution and public safety.
Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, told EarthSky that “one or two Starlink satellites” now fall back to Earth every single day — a figure he expects “will only keep climbing.” SpaceX has launched more than 8,000 satellites since 2019, including over 2,000 this year alone, as part of its global internet network.
The massive expansion has overcrowded Low Earth Orbit, where thousands of other satellites from Amazon’s Kuiper and Chinese systems are also being deployed. “With all constellations deployed, we expect about 30,000 low-Earth orbit satellites… and perhaps another 20,000 at 1,000 km,” McDowell said.
Each Starlink satellite lasts around five years before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, where it is designed to burn up. However, scientists warn that burning debris releases metals into the stratosphere, potentially damaging the ozone layer. “So far answers have ranged from ‘this is too small to be a problem’ to ‘we’re already screwed,’” McDowell told The Register.
A 2023 FAA report further warned that by 2035, 28,000 satellite fragments could survive re-entry annually, raising the risk of casualties to 61 percent each year. Experts now fear a chain reaction known as Kessler syndrome, where collisions create uncontrollable debris, potentially trapping humanity beneath a cloud of space junk.