HAWTHORNE, California, July 8 — When a Starlink satellite’s job is done, it does not drift as space junk. It follows a command to fire its ion thrusters, lower its orbit, and burn up completely in Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX has now deorbited over 500 satellites since the constellation began launching in 2019, with 260 of those occurring in just the six-month period from August 2024 to January 2025.
The process is deliberate and slow. From the initial deorbit command to final incineration, it takes several weeks to months.
Each satellite carries a Hall-effect thruster that uses krypton or argon as propellant. The thrusters gradually lower the satellite’s altitude until it enters the atmosphere at a speed that generates temperatures exceeding 1,600 degrees Celsius — that is 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit. At that heat, the satellite structure vaporizes.
Designed for complete burn-up
The satellites are engineered to burn up completely at altitudes between 60 and 80 kilometers — 37 to 50 miles — above the surface. This is meant to minimize the risk of any debris reaching the ground. It is a different outcome from uncontrolled reentries of defunct satellites, which can break apart and create debris fields.
But the vaporization does not mean nothing is left behind. The metals that make up a satellite — aluminum, titanium, copper — do not simply disappear.
At those extreme reentry temperatures, they form nanoparticles and reactive chemical species in the upper atmosphere.
A growing number of reentries
SpaceX has been launching Starlink satellites since 2019. The constellation now numbers in the thousands. With 260 deorbits in just six months, the pace is accelerating.
Each satellite’s Hall-effect thruster is a key piece of technology. It uses krypton or argon, both noble gases, as propellant.
The thruster allows precise maneuvering, which is what makes controlled reentry possible. Without it, a satellite that fails or reaches end of life would simply drift until atmospheric drag eventually pulls it down — unpredictably. The company has not disclosed how many more deorbits it plans in the coming months.
But with the constellation continuing to expand, the number of satellites that will eventually need to come down is in the tens of thousands. For now, the process remains the same: fire the thrusters, lower the orbit, and let the atmosphere do the rest.
The metals that vaporize at 1,600 degrees Celsius do not stay vaporized forever. They cool, condense, and become part of the upper atmosphere. What that means for air quality, for climate, and for the health of people on the ground is still being studied.
But the numbers are already large: over 500 satellites deorbited, with more coming every month.
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