SpaceX launches 10,000th Starlink internet satellite

Starlink satellites awaiting deployment. | Image: SpaceX

On Sunday, SpaceX launched 56 further Starlink satellites connected abstracted Falcon 9 rockets, surpassing 10,000 full satellites launched into debased Earth orbit to date. The milestone was reached connected committee the 132nd Falcon 9 motorboat of 2025, tying the erstwhile yearly motorboat grounds with much than 2 afloat months to spell successful the year.

Of those 10k satellites, lone astir 8,608 are presently operational, according to Jonathan McDowell’s outer tracker calculations. Starlink satellites person a lifespan of astir 5 years earlier they’re intentionally de-orbited to pain up successful the atmosphere. The archetypal Starlink prototypes launched successful February 2018 up of its 2021 commercialized work offering.

SpaceX has support to motorboat 12,000 satellites — with implicit 30,000 planned — to bring fast, low-latency net to the world. Others similar Amazon’s Project Kuiper and efforts successful Europe and China, person their ain mega constellation plans, raising concerns astir the menace caused by overcrowding.