--- title: "Elon Musk Says Starlink Satellites Had to Swerve Out of the Way of Debris" description: "SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reveled that some of the company's internet-beaming Starlink satellites had to swerve out of the way of space debris." date: "2021-12-01" modified: "2021-12-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-starlink-satellites-swerve" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "space debris" - "space junk" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says Starlink Satellites Had to Swerve Out of the Way of Debris ![SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reveled that some of the company's internet-beaming Starlink satellites had to swerve out of the way of space debris.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Heads Up! SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed yesterday that some of the company's internet-beaming Starlink satellites had to swerve out of the way of space debris, which also forced NASA to [abruptly call off a spacewalk]() on Tuesday. "We had to shift some Starlink satellite orbits to reduce probability of collision," Musk [wrote on Twitter](), notably [declining to say]() the origin of the debris. "Not great, but not terrible either." The billionaire CEO also elaborated on the dangers that space junk presents to astronauts on spacewalks. "Station and Dragon have micrometeorite shields (ultra high velocity impact absorption)," Musk said, "but \[Extravehicular Activity\] suits do not, hence higher risk for spacewalk." ## Replacing Antennas Before the canceled spacewalk, NASA astronauts on board the International Space Station were scheduled to replace a broken antenna system outside the orbital outpost. "Due to the lack of opportunity to properly assess the risk it could pose to the astronauts, teams have decided to delay the Nov. 30 spacewalk until more information is available," NASA wrote in a [Tuesday statement](). The news comes after Russia [completed an anti-satellite test]() in orbit earlier this month, sending more than 1,500 traceable pieces of space junk hurtling around our planet. It's unclear however if NASA's decision, or Musk's comments, are related to the incident. Musk's nonchalant reaction to the issue is certainly surprising. Crowding our planet's orbit with trash not only poses an existential threat to astronauts, but it could make escaping Earth's gravity well — one of Musk's main goals — an even more treacherous journey. **More on debris:** *[NASA Postpones Spacewalk Due to Deadly Debris]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()