SpaceX’s Starlink Loses Contact With Satellite

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2026 – A Starlink satellite operated by SpaceX lost communication while in orbit on Sunday at an altitude of about 348 miles, the company announced Monday, noting that the issue has not affected critical space operations.

The development comes just ahead of the anticipated April 1 launch of Artemis II, the first crewed test flight in NASA’s lunar exploration program.

The situation does not pose any additional risk to the International Space Station, its crew, or the Artemis II mission, according to the post on X from Starlink, a product of SpaceX. The company will continue tracking satellite 34343 and any detectable debris in coordination with the U.S. Space Force and NASA, the company said.

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SpaceX is working to identify the cause of the issue and plans to implement any necessary corrective actions, the company added. The incident also did not affect the Falcon 9 Transporter-16, which launched Monday morning to deploy payloads into orbits above and below the Starlink constellation.

The failure is notable given the scale of Starlink, now the largest satellite constellation, with thousands of satellites providing broadband service to millions of users worldwide. That growth has expanded connectivity, particularly in remote areas, while increasing concerns about congestion and space traffic management in low Earth orbit.

Past events have highlighted these challenges, including a 2022 geomagnetic storm that caused the loss of dozens of Starlink satellites due to increased atmospheric drag. Starlink satellites are typically designed to operate for about five years and to burn up upon reentry.

Rising solar activity is expected to increase atmospheric drag at lower orbital altitudes, placing additional pressure on operators to monitor spacecraft and respond quickly to potential failures.