Archive · 17 Dec 2025
Starlink's India launch amid satellite collision fears
Scientists are worried about a lot of satellites in space crashing into each other.
This is called Kessler Syndrome.
Solar storms can make this worse by making it harder to control the satellites.
Right now, there are so many satellites that they pass close to each other every 22 seconds.
People have to move them to avoid crashes, but if a big solar storm happens, they might not be able to do that.
This could cause a big mess of space junk that would make it hard to use satellites or launch new ones.
Starlink, a company that sends up many satellites, is starting to work in India, which makes the problem even more important to solve.
Starlink receives final approval to launch in India amid growing concerns about space congestion and satellite collisions.
Scientists warn that solar storms could trigger Kessler Syndrome, a catastrophic event where satellites collide and create a debris cloud.
The CRASH (Collision Realization and Significant Harm) Clock indicates a current collision avoidance time of 2.8 days, down from 121 days in 2018.
SpaceX's Starlink satellites have been making around 50,000 collision avoidance maneuvers in the last four years, with projections of 1 million every six months by 2028.
Solar storms, like the Gannon Storm in May 2024, can increase atmospheric drag and damage satellite systems, heightening collision risks.
- Who
- Scientists, including Sarah Thiele from Princeton, and satellite operators, particularly SpaceX's Starlink
- What
- Potential catastrophic collision of satellites in low-Earth orbit due to solar storms and increasing space congestion
- When
- June 2025 (with historical data from 2018, 2023, 2024, and 1859)
- Where
- Low-Earth orbit, with specific focus on India due to Starlink's launch
- Why
- Increased drag and system failures caused by solar storms, combined with the rising number of satellites, can lead to uncontrolled satellite collisions and Kessler Syndrome
- Current Collision Avoidance Time
- 2.8 days (June 2025)
- Previous Collision Avoidance Time
- 121 days (2018)
- Chance of Collision After 24 Hours of Inaction
- 30%
- Potential Consequence of Collision
- Kessler Syndrome (debris cloud rendering satellites unworkable)
- Cause of Increased Risk
- Solar storms causing increased drag and system failures
- Researchers
- Sarah Thiele (Princeton) and co-authors
- Metric Used
- Collision Realization and Significant Harm (CRASH) Clock
- Historical Event Reference
- Carrington Event of 1859
- Starlink Collision Avoidance Maneuvers
- 50,000 in last four years, potentially 1 million every six months by 2028
- Recent Solar Storm Example
- Gannon Storm (May 2024)
