Near Miss in Orbit: SpaceX Satellite Avoids Collision with Chinese Rocket’s Payload
A SpaceX executive revealed a Starlink satellite narrowly avoided a collision with a satellite deployed by a Chinese rocket, highlighting growing concerns about coordination and safety in the increasingly congested realm of Earth orbit.
On Friday, a senior official at SpaceX, Michael Nicolls, VP for Starlink engineering, publicly detailed the incident, attributing the close call to a lack of transparency from CAS Space, the Chinese launch provider. “When satellite operators do not share ephemeris for their satellites, dangerously close approaches can occur in space,” Nicolls stated, referring to the critical practice of publishing predicted orbital positions.
According to Nicolls, the satellite in question veered unexpectedly close to a Starlink satellite that has been operational for over two years. The incident resulted in a proximity of just 200 meters (656 feet) between the deployed satellite and STARLINK-6079 (56120) at an altitude of 560 kilometers. “As far as we know, no coordination or deconfliction with existing satellites operating in space was performed,” Nicolls wrote, emphasizing the potential for disaster.
CAS Space responded to the concerns, stating that their responsibility concludes upon satellite deployment and that they have no control over subsequent maneuvers. However, an astronomer and satellite tracking expert, Jonathan McDowell, suggested that CAS Space’s response was “reasonable,” noting that two days post-launch is often beyond the typical timeframe for predicting launch-related risks. Despite this, McDowell acknowledged that improved coordination, as Nicolls advocated, is becoming increasingly vital as Earth orbit becomes more crowded. Space.com echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the escalating need for collaboration.
The incident underscores a dramatic increase in the number of satellites orbiting the planet. In 2020, fewer than 3,400 functional satellites were in operation. By 2025, that number has surged to approximately 13,000, with launches occurring at an unprecedented rate. SpaceX is currently the dominant player, operating nearly 9,300 Starlink satellites, with over 3,000 launched this year alone.
Starlink satellites are equipped with autonomous collision avoidance systems, constantly maneuvering to avoid predicted conjunctions based on available tracking data. This capability is demonstrably effective: Starlink spacecraft executed approximately 145,000 avoidance maneuvers in the first six months of 2025, averaging four maneuvers per satellite each month. This proactive approach is impressive, but not universally adopted. Many other spacecraft lack similar capabilities, and even Starlink satellites can be caught off guard by those whose operators withhold trajectory data.
The potential consequences of a collision – between two satellites or with existing space junk – are severe. Such an event could generate a massive debris field, triggering a cascading effect known as the Kessler syndrome. This scenario, where collisions create more debris, leading to further collisions, could render portions of Earth orbit unusable, jeopardizing critical satellite infrastructure.
The incident serves as a stark reminder that the future of space operations hinges on enhanced cooperation and data sharing among all satellite operators. The need for a standardized approach to orbital safety is no longer a distant concern, but an immediate imperative.
