(Credit: Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images)
A Starlink satellite has suffered a mysterious “anomaly” that seems to have caused it to eject debris into Earth’s orbit—an apparent repeat of a similar incident in December.
On Monday, SpaceX tweeted that it had lost contact with Starlink satellite 34343, which launched in May 2025. The satellite was orbiting from about 560 kilometers above Earth, but on Sunday it “experienced an anomaly on-orbit,” the company says.
SpaceX says the satellite poses no danger to the International Space Station or other missions. Still, it noted: “We will continue to monitor the satellite along with any trackable debris.”
The statement is raising speculation that the satellite might have broken apart. LeoLabs, which tracks satellite constellations, has since detected “tens of objects in the vicinity of the satellite after the event,” citing data from its radar network.
LeoLabs included an image indicating that a cluster of objects has formed around satellite 34343. “We've characterized this event as likely caused by an internal energetic source rather than a collision with space debris or another object,” the company said.
This means both SpaceX and other satellite constellations and rocket providers will need to maneuver around the apparent debris to avoid a collision. However, LeoLabs noted: ”Due to the low altitude of the event, fragments from this anomaly will likely de-orbit within a few weeks.” SpaceX has also added that it's “actively working to determine [the] root cause and will rapidly implement any necessary corrective actions.”
HEO, a London provider of satellite imagery, has also posted a photo of what the satellite looked like before Sunday's anomaly.
The incident occurs about four months after a separate Starlink satellite, 35956, experienced a serious malfunction involving a propulsion tank that caused it to tumble back toward Earth and eject debris. It's unclear what caused the malfunction, but an image of the satellite showed it remained mostly intact. The satellite later burned up in the atmosphere as it de-orbited.
All Starlink satellites can maneuver and are designed to disintegrate upon re-entering the atmosphere, though in rare cases, small fragments can survive. SpaceX currently operates over 10,000 active satellites in orbit and has long talked up its commitment to space safety. This includes introducing a space traffic control system called Stargaze that’ll supply free data about all the objects floating in Earth’s orbit.
Nevertheless, the company is facing greater scrutiny as it has ambitions to launch up to 1 million more satellites in an effort to develop space-based data centers. A large number of astronomers and environmentalists have opposed the plan, saying it risks unleashing light pollution in the night sky while endangering orbital safety around Earth.