Starlink Explodes, Suddenly Loses Contact in Outer Space

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Starlink satellite 34343 has been reported as lost contact. SpaceX states that this incident occurred after an anomaly and suspects that the satellite exploded. The reason or how the satellite could explode has not been explained. SpaceX says it is working to determine the main cause. However, the problem that occurred 560 km above Earth is confirmed not to disrupt the International Space Station (ISS) or the Artemis II launch mission. “The latest analysis shows that the event does not pose a new risk to @Space_Station, its crew, or NASA’s upcoming Artemis II mission launch,” SpaceX said in a post on its X account, quoted from The Verge, Thursday (2/4/2026). “We will continue to monitor the satellite and trackable debris, as well as coordinate with @NASA and USSpaceForce,” SpaceX added. This anomaly was detected by the space tracking company, LeoLabs. It is stated that there were dozens of objects around the location of Starlink 34343 after the incident. SpaceX also experienced a similar incident last December. At that time, communication with one of its satellites also disappeared and was suspected to have exploded. That December incident also occurred a week after Starlink nearly collided with a Chinese satellite.