Nichols noted on his Twitter (X) that lowering the orbit will result in a denser arrangement of Starlink satellites, which, in turn, will decrease the risk of collisions with other objects. "At altitudes below 500 km, there is significantly less space debris and satellite constellations, which reduces the overall probability of accidents," he added.
This decision was a consequence of an incident in December when one of the Starlink satellites exhibited abnormal behavior at an altitude of 418 kilometers, losing about four kilometers in height over a short period of time. Experts suggest that this may indicate a possible explosion on board the spacecraft.
SpaceX holds a leading position in the world as an operator of satellite internet. The Starlink network includes nearly 10,000 satellites and provides access to broadband internet in various parts of the planet.
