SpaceX asks for data sharing across all vehicles to promote space safety
SpaceX recorded approximately 164,000 potential collision events over a six-month period involving its Starlink satellite network in low Earth orbit.
SpaceX Moves Satellites to Avoid Orbital Collisions
The growing density of space traffic has increased collision risks as Starlink operates as the world's largest satellite constellation with around 11,000 spacecraft in orbit. To mitigate these risks, SpaceX stated that it has already moved approximately 4,400 Starlink satellites.
SpaceX highlighted specific close encounters to demonstrate the threat posed by unannounced trajectory changes. In August, a Starlink satellite had to rotate its solar arrays into a narrow, knife-edge
profile when another spacecraft unexpectedly changed direction, bringing the two objects within 134 metres (440 ft) of each other. In a second incident in October 2025, another spacecraft altered its path and temporarily came within just 57 metres (187 ft) of a Starlink satellite.
The Challenge of Unshared Trajectory Data
According to SpaceX, about half of the unique manoeuvring satellites involved in potential near-misses did not share trajectory information. Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s senior vice president of space systems, emphasized the need for transparency by stating, My fundamental ask here is that we need to make headway here and begin sharing data across all vehicles, from whatever country you are, with us and with others, to promote a safe operating environment,
and noting that the law of large numbers says that if it can happen, it will happen
(Ars Technica).
While SpaceX noted that nearly all Chinese satellite operators decline to publicly share their satellite ephemeris data, the company clarified that the issue is not restricted to China or Russia. Competitors like Amazon—whose Leo constellation currently has 396 satellites in orbit and holds Federal Communications Commission approval for larger networks—maintain that sharing ephemeris data for space safety is a necessary practice (Ars Technica).