Fireworks in Space? Starlink Satellite Spotted Burning Up During Reentry Over US

Stargazers in the Midwest and Southwest spotted a Starlink satellite burning up in the sky this weekend as it reentered the atmosphere. The American Meteor Society received 36 reports from people in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas who spotted the satellite, with some describing it as a "bright fireball." 

According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell on X, the satellite has been identified as Starlink-4682, launched by SpaceX in August 2022. 

Starlink describes its satellites as "fully demisable by design," meaning that each satellite is designed to safely burn up during reentry and effectively avoid the harmful scattering of debris. 

Viewers described the satellite as "slow-moving," appearing to "split into three parts" or explode "into many, many pieces." Many assumed the object was a bright meteor breaking into multiple pieces, appearing as streaks of light in the night sky.

"With space sustainability in mind, SpaceX has to-date initiated controlled orbits on 406 satellites out of the nearly 6,000 Starlink satellites launched," SpaceX said in a statement on sustainability from Feb. 12, 2024.

Starlink maintains operations using over 6,000 low-Earth orbit satellites, which orbit approximately 342 miles above the Earth, whereas traditional satellites orbit approximately 22,000 miles above the planet. In the near future, Starlink plans to increase its number to 42,000 LEO satellites.

As Starlink accounts for 40% of all satellites launched into orbit, it also shoulders plenty of criticism for atmospheric pollution, including the pollution of aluminum oxide nanoparticles from reentry. According to Space.com, a Starlink satellite reenters the atmosphere nearly every day.