Starlink Satellite Narrowly Avoids Collision with Chinese Spacecraft
A Starlink satellite narrowly avoided a collision with a Chinese spacecraft, highlighting the need for improved coordination among satellite operators.
On December 9, 2025, a Chinese Kinetica 1 rocket launched nine satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. One of these satellites came within approximately 200 meters of SpaceX's Starlink-6079 at an altitude of 560 kilometers. Michael Nicolls, SpaceX's Vice President of Starlink Engineering, stated that no prior coordination or deconfliction was conducted, leading to this close approach. He emphasized that the primary risk in space operations stems from the lack of coordination between satellite operators.
CAS Space, the operator of the Kinetica 1 rocket, responded by asserting that all their launches select windows using ground-based space awareness systems to avoid known satellites and debris. They noted that the incident occurred nearly 48 hours after payload separation, by which time the launch mission had concluded.
The incident underscores the increasing congestion in low Earth orbit, with the number of active satellites rising from fewer than 3,400 in 2020 to about 13,000 in 2025, including nearly 9,300 from Starlink. This growth heightens the risk of collisions and potential debris cascades, emphasizing the need for enhanced communication and coordination among satellite operators.