SpaceX warns of near-collisions in increasingly crowded space
The company is asking other satellite operators to share flight data more quickly.
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SpaceX warns that satellites in an increasingly crowded orbit sometimes come within tens to hundreds of metres of one another. The company wants operators to share planned manoeuvres and orbital information more effectively to prevent collisions.
Michael Nicolls, vice-president of Starlink, made the appeal during the International Astronautical Congress in Turkey. According to Ars Technica, he described recent approaches between satellites as far too close. SpaceX wants operators to provide information about course changes sooner.
SpaceX says Starlink recorded approximately 164,000 approaches within four hours of an unannounced manoeuvre over a six-month period. Those figures come from the company’s own operational data and have not been established by an international regulator.
According to SpaceX, Starlink came close to approximately 650 other manoeuvring satellites in 2026. Flight information was shared for about half of them. Without that information, the company says, systems can temporarily predict less accurately where a satellite is located.
The Starlink constellation now numbers more than 11,000 satellites, according to Ars Technica. This makes the network a large proportion of active satellites in low Earth orbit. Other companies and governments are also expanding their satellite networks, increasing the need for shared traffic rules.
SpaceX already offers a platform that allows operators to detect possible collisions and says its own satellites can manoeuvre autonomously. The appeal does not mean that a collision has occurred. It does show, however, that space traffic increasingly resembles infrastructure requiring international standards, notifications and oversight.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- SpaceX reports very close passes between satellites.
- SpaceX is calling for better sharing of orbital and manoeuvre data.
- Starlink is one of the largest satellite constellations in low Earth orbit.
- No collision has been reported.
Left
Arguments The growth of satellite constellations calls for international public rules, transparent data and oversight that does not depend on voluntary company agreements.
Values Public safety, international cooperation and equal access to space.
Consequences Stricter rules could limit the risk of collisions, but could also slow the expansion of commercial space infrastructure.
Centre
Arguments Technical standards and mandatory notifications are useful, but must fit with existing systems and leave room for innovation.
Values Practical feasibility, safety and predictability.
Consequences A phased approach could deliver quick results without unnecessarily grounding existing missions.
Right
Arguments Operators should remain primarily responsible for safe control; too much international bureaucracy could make the sector less competitive.
Values Ownership, innovation and limited government intervention.
Consequences Voluntary cooperation may work more quickly, but leaves risks when companies do not fully share information.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The warning, the figures cited and the call for data-sharing are attributed to SpaceX and described by Ars Technica and WFTV. The text nowhere claims that a collision has already occurred.
- confirmed SpaceX reports near approaches at distances of tens to hundreds of metres. — Ars Technica quotes Michael Nicolls’s presentation. source
- confirmed SpaceX recorded approximately 164,000 approaches within four hours of an unannounced manoeuvre. — WFTV cites this as a figure from SpaceX. source
- confirmed Starlink numbers more than 11,000 satellites. — Ars Technica gives this figure. source
- confirmed No collision has been reported. — The sources consulted describe approaches and prevention, not a collision. source
Editor's note
The figures come from SpaceX and are attributed as company claims. No collision has been reported; the central point is a warning and a call for better data-sharing.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „spacex starlink”
- NU.nl — „spacex starlink”
- De Telegraaf — „spacex starlink”