SpaceX Retires 472 Starlink Satellites in Major Deorbiting Effort

 Between December 2024 and May 2025, SpaceX retired 472 starling satellites—mostly from its first- generation fleet—by steering them into Earth's atmosphere to burn up. This marks a sharp rise from just 73 deorbits in the previous six months. Some satellites were retired early due to hardware concerns. While most debris disintegrated safely, rare fragments have reached Earth, raising environmental question.