Yes, satellites could fall from the sky

Debris from thousands of satellites could cause injuries

SpaceX satellite launch
2020 SpaceX launch of a batch of Starlink satellites
(Image credit: Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

You could be hit by a falling satellite, according to a report to Congress by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The report predicted that by 2035, satellites from large networks like SpaceX's Starlink could fall to the Earth and cause "one person on the planet … to be injured or killed every two years." Satellites like those from Starlink are meant to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere at the end of their service. However, some pieces of satellite debris may not incinerate and instead fall to the planet's surface, posing a risk of injury. 

The Aerospace Corporation, the research group commissioned by the FAA to help produce the report, "assessed that the SpaceX spacecraft could each produce three pieces of debris of 300 grams." The group called that a conservative estimate, adding, "With the thousands of satellites expected to reenter, even a small amount of debris can impose a significant risk over time."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.