If you’ve recently seen a glowing, fiery object slowly streaking across the night sky and breaking apart as it fell, you may have witnessed a Starlink satellite reentering Earth’s atmosphere. What might seem like a meteor could, in fact, be the remains of one of the thousands of satellites orbiting our planet.
According to Smithsonian astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who operates the widely respected Jonathan’s Space Report, “there are currently one to two Starlink satellites falling back to Earth every day.” His carefully maintained data reveals a growing trend of satellite reentries, the direct result of an increasingly crowded orbital space filled with mega-constellations like Starlink.
At this very moment, there are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites circling Earth, all launched by SpaceX. That number continues to grow rapidly, and it’s not just SpaceX adding to the congestion. Other companies and nations are deploying vast satellite networks of their own. These satellites primarily occupy low-Earth orbit, extending up to about 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) above Earth’s surface.
McDowell predicts that the situation will soon intensify. He explained, “With all constellations deployed, we expect about 30,000 low-Earth orbit satellites (Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, others) and perhaps another 20,000 satellites at 1,000 km from the Chinese systems. For the low-orbit satellites we expect a five-year replacement cycle, and that translates to five reentries a day.” He also warned of the potential for the Kessler Syndrome, a dangerous chain reaction where collisions between satellites create clouds of debris that lead to more collisions, making space increasingly hazardous for future missions.
Many skywatchers who capture fiery streaks in the atmosphere often ask the same question: What did I just see? McDowell provided a straightforward answer. “The easy ‘meteor vs. space junk’ discriminator is speed. A meteor from solar orbit, even a big fireball, lasts only a few seconds and is gone, whizzz. Space junk goes more like airplane angular speed (really faster than a plane, but higher so it cancels out) and may be overhead for a couple of minutes.” In essence, if the glowing object lingers and moves slowly across the sky, it’s likely human-made rather than a natural meteor.
Not all satellites fall back to Earth because they’ve reached the end of their lifespan. Solar activity can also accelerate their descent. During periods of high solar activity, such as solar storms, the Sun heats Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing it to expand or “puff up.” This increases atmospheric drag, which slows down satellites and causes them to lose altitude more quickly.
This phenomenon was dramatically demonstrated in early 2022, when a solar storm destroyed 40 recently launched Starlink satellites. According to McDowell, similar incidents are likely during periods of elevated solar activity. Malfunctions can also bring satellites down prematurely. On July 12, 2024, for example, a Falcon 9 rocket failure left 20 Starlink satellites in unstable orbits. McDowell reported, “All but two of the satellites reentered on the day of launch, and the last one reentered on July 20, eight days after launch.”
In recent months, social media has been flooded with videos and images of Starlink satellites disintegrating in the atmosphere. On September 25, 2025, a Starlink satellite illuminated the sky over California’s Bay Area. Just days earlier, on September 22, another burned up over Saskatchewan, Canada. And on September 21, a particularly bright reentry over Texas caught widespread attention online.
Despite these viral moments, McDowell notes that most reentries go unseen. Roughly 70% of Earth’s surface is covered by water, and many reentries occur over remote areas or during times when people aren’t watching the skies, such as in the middle of the night or broad daylight.
Beyond the visual spectacle, scientists are now studying how the constant fall of satellites might affect Earth’s atmosphere. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently revealed findings from a study of the stratosphere, the atmospheric layer where jet planes fly and the ozone layer resides. According to NOAA, the stratosphere “contains an unexpected quantity of particles with a variety of exotic metals.”
These metals, including niobium, hafnium, copper, lithium, and aluminum, are believed to originate from vaporized satellites and spent rocket boosters that burn up upon reentry. The study found that concentrations of these metals far exceed those found in natural space dust. Because such materials are used in high-performance alloys, the evidence points directly to the spaceflight industry as their source.
Scientists are now investigating the broader consequences of these particles. They could reflect sunlight, alter atmospheric chemistry, or even contribute to ozone depletion. The long-term effects remain uncertain, but it’s clear that our ventures into space are beginning to leave a subtle yet measurable mark on Earth’s upper atmosphere.
