Usually orbits are reserved years in advance. AFAIK this kind of move is unprecedented (although everything about Starlink is unprecedented since it's the first megaconstellation).
Two weeks ago, a Starlink satellite exploded. SpaceX believes it wasn't caused by a collision which means the explosion was probably caused by a malfunction in the satellite itself. Now 4,400 Starlink satellites are moving to a lower orbit for "safety". Is this an emergency change to account for a design flaw that they just discovered?
Because planning missions took years to plan. Holidaygoers book hotels months and sometimes a year or more in advance. Business travelers don’t. That doesn’t make the latter unusual, just a different use case.
> Is this an emergency change to account for a design flaw that they just discovered?
If the existing orbit is safe enough, why bother "increasing space safety"? The cost of this reconfiguration must be quite large. And why have no public comment period?
No, I'm not. AFAIK there has been years of regulatory wrangling between Starlink, Kuiper, OneWeb, etc. about who gets which orbital shell. Shells aren't yet as scarce as GEO slots but companies are already planning for a future where they might be.
Two weeks ago, a Starlink satellite exploded. SpaceX believes it wasn't caused by a collision which means the explosion was probably caused by a malfunction in the satellite itself. Now 4,400 Starlink satellites are moving to a lower orbit for "safety". Is this an emergency change to account for a design flaw that they just discovered?