SpaceX Confirms Starlink Satellite Experiences Anomaly in Orbit

Los Angeles (ANTARA) - The US aerospace company SpaceX confirmed on Monday (30/3) that a Starlink satellite experienced an anomaly while in orbit on Sunday (29/3), resulting in loss of communication and the appearance of debris. Starlink 34343 lost contact while operating at an altitude of around 560 km above Earth, according to a statement released via the official Starlink account on platform X. The latest analysis indicates that the anomaly does not pose new risks to the International Space Station (ISS) and its crew, nor to NASA’s upcoming crewed Moon mission Artemis II, according to the statement. SpaceX stated that it will continue to monitor the satellite and the trackable debris, as well as coordinate with NASA and the US Space Force. SpaceX also stated that the incident does not pose new risks to the previously launched Transporter-16 rideshare mission on Monday, as the payload deployment for that mission was carried out far above or below the Starlink constellation to avoid potential collisions. Meanwhile, LeoLabs, a US space technology company specialising in tracking satellites and space debris in low Earth orbit, stated on Monday that it detected a fragmentation event related to Starlink 34343 on Sunday. Its analysis shows similarities to a previous anomaly involving Starlink 35956 on 17 December 2025. Such events demonstrate the need for rapid characterisation of anomaly incidents to provide clarity on operational environment conditions, the company stated.