SpaceX promises sustainability and safety for Starlink constellation

Amid concern from NASA, the company says it has significant resources to exceed best practices when it comes to safety.

In an update published to the company website, the company outlined its safety and sustainable practices for its Starlink internet satellites.

NASA has raised concerns about the impact of more Starlink satellites. The International Space Station, as well as the rate of near-collisions in space, and for interfering with astronomy observations due to their brightness, have been criticized by NASA. The first concern was addressed with this new outline.

The Starlink satellite megaconstellation was launched in photos.

In this new statement, the company promises a commitment for a safe orbital environment, protecting human spaceflight, and ensuring the environment is kept sustainable for future missions to Earth and beyond.

The lengthy update includes a plan of approach for current and future Starlink launches, including high maneuverability, open data sharing with other space companies, agencies and authorities, and an in-space collision avoidance system to be used as a last resort.

These are the key practices for Starlink, according to the company.

• Designing and building highly reliable, maneuverable satellites that have demonstrated reliability of greater than 99%;
• Operating at low altitudes (below 600 km [372 miles]) to ensure no persistent debris, even in the unlikely event a satellite fails on orbit;
• Inserting satellites at an especially low altitude to verify health prior to raising into their on-station/operational orbit;
• Transparently sharing orbital information with other satellite owners/operators;
• Developed an advanced collision avoidance system to take effective action when encounter risks exceed safe thresholds.

The company said in the update that it is leaning on advanced technologies to make these best practices possible. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that governs telecommunications activities in space is one of the key government stakeholders that SpaceX urged other operators to join.

SpaceX continues to innovate to accelerate space technologies, and we are currently providing much-needed internet connection to people all over the globe, including underserved and remote parts of the world, with our Starlink constellation.

The company pointed to other factors that make Starlink a highly adaptable system, including a low rate of individual satellite failure, a commitment to deorbit satellites deemed at risk of failure, and special shields and battery equipment to reduce micrometeorites. All satellites are deorbited within four weeks of their operational lifetime.

The satellites on board were destroyed due to solar activity temporarily increasing the density of the Earth's atmosphere.

The company wants the FCC to change so that the satellites can be deorbited quickly and actively.

The company pointed to data transparency practices it would like other operators to do, such as sharing orbital parameters on Space-Track.org and providing routine system health reports to the FCC that include recent orbital maneuvers to reduce collision risk.

The company acknowledged that its satellites have come close to major hardware, but said that its collision risk system has been checked out by NASA.

We work directly with NASA and receive plans to stay clear of their current and planned trajectory.

NASA raised concerns about the new Starlink satellites. The agency has concerns with the potential for a significant increase in the frequency of conjunction events and possible impacts to NASA's science and human spaceflight missions, the agency stated in a letter which was submitted to the FCC in February.

NASA wants to ensure that the deployment of the Starlink Gen 2 system is conducted prudently, and in a manner that supports spaceflight safety and the long-term sustainable of the space environment.

Follow Elizabeth on social media. Follow us on social media.