SpaceX has reported a significant decline in the number of Starlink satellites de-orbited at the end of 2025. According to the company’s semi-annual report submitted to the FCC, de-orbits fell from around 500 to roughly 200, marking a notable reduction compared to the first half of the year.
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Typically, Starlink satellites have a designed lifespan of about five years before they de-orbit, burning up completely upon re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. However, satellites may be retired early due to malfunctions or hardware issues. The decline in de-orbits suggests that many older satellites have already been successfully retired.
The Starlink constellation, which now includes over 10,000 satellites, saw a surge in burn-ups in early 2025. From December 2024 to May 2025, SpaceX de-orbited 472 satellites, often retiring four to five satellites per day, according to astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell. The rate dropped significantly to 218 satellites from June to November.
Most of the de-orbited satellites were from the first-generation Starlink fleet, which began serving customers over five years ago. The remaining satellites were from the second-generation constellation. McDowell noted that the company has “largely completed the mass retirement of the older satellites,” though the overall reentry rate is still higher than in 2023.
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The report highlights SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to manage its rapidly growing satellite network while maintaining orbital safety. With the mass retirement of older satellites mostly completed, the company can now focus on deploying newer, more advanced Starlink satellites to improve global internet coverage.