Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president for the Starlink network and head of xAI, called for improved satellite data sharing among operators, warning that undisclosed maneuvers create dangerous close approaches in low Earth orbit. He made the remarks during a presentation at the International Astronautical Congress in Turkey.
Nicolls said some satellites operated by other companies approached Starlink satellites at distances ranging from tens to hundreds of meters after changing their trajectories without publishing their orbital data or accounting for the trajectories of other satellites. The examples he presented did not indicate hostile intent, but rather shortcomings in information sharing and coordination.
Growing Congestion in Orbit
The Starlink constellation includes more than 11,000 satellites, or roughly two-thirds of active spacecraft in low Earth orbit, while radars and telescopes track thousands of other objects made up of space debris. With SpaceX planning to launch the Starmind constellation, which could reach one million satellites to provide in-orbit computing capacity for artificial intelligence, alongside the expansion of Amazon Leo and two Chinese constellations, the importance of space traffic management is increasing.
There are currently no global treaties or rules requiring satellites to broadcast their positions and maneuvers or mandating coordination among operators. This means that safety depends to a large extent on voluntary standards and the tracking and maneuvering capabilities of companies and governments.
How Does Starlink Handle the Risk?
SpaceX has lowered the altitude of the active Starlink constellation to below 500 kilometers, while the new Starlink V3 satellites will operate at an altitude of approximately 350 kilometers. The company says this measure keeps the network away from more congested areas, accelerates the reentry of disabled satellites into the atmosphere, and improves service.
SpaceX publishes the ephemeris data for its satellites, which provides information about a satellite’s position and movement. Starlink satellites also use an optical system called Stargaze to detect objects that cross their orbital paths. Nicolls said the system tracks about 90% of maneuvering satellites whose orbits intersect with Starlink’s.
Starlink satellites perform about 1,000 collision-avoidance maneuvers daily and have managed in recent months to move away from approximately 650 active satellites operated by other companies. However, only half of those satellites belong to operators that share their orbital data with SpaceX. When there is not enough room to maneuver, a satellite can perform what the company calls “bending maneuvers” to reduce the likelihood of a collision at the moment of greatest risk.
Coordination Among Competitors and Countries
Rajeev Badyal, head of Amazon Leo, said his company coordinates with SpaceX and other operators during every launch and shares information about the satellites’ drop-off location and orbit raising. The Amazon Leo constellation currently includes 396 satellites, while its first-generation network consists of 3,232 satellites, following approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for a second network of 4,504 satellites.
Nicolls noted that progress had been made in sharing data with some Chinese operators, including the Chinese space station, but said SpaceX did not have sufficient information about other satellites. Some operators in the United States, Europe, and Japan also do not share their data fully.
What Is Changing in Practice?
These figures show that collision avoidance no longer depends solely on monitoring debris, but also on operators’ ability to know the intentions of other satellites before maneuvers are carried out. Although the probability of a collision on any given day remains low, the increasing number of satellites raises the number of close-approach opportunities and increases the impact of any failure. Data sharing remains voluntary, leaving an open question as to whether the industry will be able to unify minimum rules of conduct before constellations expand to larger sizes.