SpaceX warns satellite operators of collision risk after multiple Starlink near-misses

In a recent blog post, SpaceX criticized other satellite launchers for not providing trajectory information, warning that this practice threatens its Starlink constellation of about 11,000 satellites. The firm said it logged roughly 650 near-miss events this year, with half involving satellites that did not share predicted paths. Notable incidents included an August encounter where a Starlink satellite had to adopt a knife-edge attitude to avoid a satellite that came within 134 m, and an October 2025 case where another object altered its course and passed within 57 m. Over the past six months, SpaceX recorded around 164,000 potential collisions and has reached out to operators to correct screening flaws.

Data supplied by SpaceX indicate that most of the uncooperative satellites originated from China, echoing earlier concerns such as a 2021 United Nations complaint about near-collisions with the Tiangong space station. SpaceX plans to dramatically expand Starlink, aiming for up to 100,000 satellites in the coming years.