SpaceX reveals hundreds of Starlink near misses annually
SpaceX reported 650 near-miss incidents involving its Starlink satellites in 2026, highlighting the dangers of an increasingly crowded low Earth orbit. The company is calling for better data sharing among satellite operators to prevent potential collisions.
Why it matters
As satellite constellations grow, the risk of orbital debris and collisions poses a significant threat to global communications infrastructure.
SpaceX reveals 650 Starlink near misses as fears grow over collisions in space Starlink said it has encountered potential near-miss situations involving around 650 unique manoeuvring satellites so far in 2026. Luke Peters October 8, 2026 5 min read
SpaceX has issued a stark warning about the growing risk of collisions in low Earth orbit (LEO), calling on satellite operators around the world to share more information about their spacecraft after hundreds of satellites came close to its Starlink network.
The company says Starlink encountered potential near-miss situations involving around 650 unique manoeuvring satellites in 2026, with only about half of those spacecraft sharing trajectory information.
SpaceX argues that operators changing the course of their satellites without providing updated data are creating a preventable risk in an increasingly crowded orbital environment.
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