Overview

• Space trackers and astronomer Jonathan McDowell report an average of one to two Starlink de-orbits per day in 2025, with recent counts reaching up to four and expectations of about five per day as deployments continue.
• Roughly 8,500 Starlink spacecraft are among about 12,000 working satellites in low-Earth orbit, underscoring SpaceX’s outsized share of active satellites.
• Starlink units are designed to fully burn up on re-entry, and recent streaking sky displays shared on social media are not considered dangerous to people on the ground.
• Researchers are investigating whether metals and aluminum-oxide particles from frequent burn-ups could harm the upper atmosphere, with outcomes still uncertain.
• An FAA analysis in 2023 projected that survivable fragments could rise sharply by 2035, elevating ground-risk concerns if mitigation does not keep pace.