I didn't see this posted here. The reasoning is better detailed here (Starlink's VP of engineering): https://xcancel.com/michaelnicollsx/status/2006790372681220530
I found the reason interesting (solar minimum increasing orbital decay time). I wonder if they will raise their orbits back in the next solar cycle.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/starlink-plans-lower-satellite-orbit-enhance-safety-2026-2026-01-01/
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Nothing to do with “Space safety”
Kind of odd that they are doing this now, when we are just barely past the solar maximum and maybe around 5 years from reaching the next solar minimum. Perhaps they’ll lower them further when we actually get close to the minimum near the end of the decade.
How will this affect astronomical observations?
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So this is an admission that the starlink satellites which recently had a malfunction do not have a decay time of one year.. but four plus.
So they need to get the shell tighter so they decay in one year instead.
Enhance safety or save them fuel (money) and spinning it for good PR
Anton Petrov posted a pretty scary video yesterday detailing how close to Kessler syndrome we are from Starlink and other mega constellations.
https://youtu.be/b66ZZ05wKC0?si=U3hZcoWN1–grzGu
We need to start treating this as a serious and urgent problem.