Starlink Satellite Venting Propellant and Debris Release Highlights Orbital Risks

A recent anomaly involving a Starlink satellite has emphasized the pressing need to avoid the Kessler Syndrome, a scenario where cascading debris in low Earth orbit hampers space activities. Late last week, a Starlink satellite experienced an onboard anomaly that caused it to vent propellant and shed debris, raising concerns about orbital safety.

According to observers, the incident was likely caused by an internal energetic event rather than a collision. Communication with the satellite was lost, and it was reported that the venting resulted in the release of a small number of trackable debris objects with low relative velocity. The affected satellite, designated Starlink 35956, was launched on November 23, 2025, as part of a Starlink mission (Group 11-30-13), and orbits at an altitude of approximately 418 km.

Currently, the satellite is tumbling but remains intact. Starlink has stated that it is expected to fully reenter Earth's atmosphere and decay within a few weeks. The company also confirmed that the satellite’s current trajectory places it below the International Space Station, posing no threat to the station or its crew.

The cause of the energetic event remains unclear. Starlink's engineers are actively investigating and deploying software updates designed to enhance protections against similar incidents in the future. Meanwhile, tracking organizations led by experts like Ed Lu, co-founder and CTO of LeoLabs, have identified hundreds of debris objects associated with the anomaly, which have dispersed along a 6,000 km stretch of the orbit.

This incident occurred shortly after a SpaceX executive revealed that a Chinese satellite launch had come within 200 meters of a Starlink satellite, underscoring the growing congestion and risks in low Earth orbit. While SpaceX remains confident that such proximity does not pose immediate threats, the accumulation of debris continues to threaten operational satellites and space safety.

The loss of communication, propellant venting, and debris generation raise concerns about the increasing density of objects in Earth's orbit. Researchers have proposed tools like the "CRASH Clock," which indicates how quickly a collision catastrophe could occur should collision-avoidance maneuvers cease entirely.

Though the affected satellite is expected to burn up shortly, this event underscores the dangers of orbital debris and the importance of sustainable space traffic management as low Earth orbit becomes more crowded.

Note: All information is based on recent reports and observations as of October 2023.