On Sunday, SpaceX demonstrated its remarkable capabilities with two launches of the Falcon 9 rockets from spaceports in Florida and California. These missions added 56 new satellites to the Starlink broadband network, marking a significant achievement for the company.
The launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California was particularly noteworthy, as it pushed the total number of Starlink satellites launched to over 10,000. As of this launch, the precise count stood at 10,006 satellites, as reported by astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who meticulously tracks satellite activities in space. This count includes several demonstration satellites but excludes the dummy units used in recent SpaceX Starship test flights.
As of August, the Starlink network had exceeded 7 million subscribers worldwide, mainly providing internet access to residential and commercial users. In an ambitious move, SpaceX is now working to extend its services directly to smartphones.
The first prototypes of Starlink, known as Tintin A and Tintin B, were launched in 2018 to test the technology. In 2019, SpaceX began deploying satellites with a new design, starting with groups of 60 satellites per launch. However, as the satellites became larger and more complex, the number of satellites per launch decreased, with the current capacity of the Falcon 9 being limited to 28 satellites.
Upon the successful launch from California on Sunday, the launch director remarked, “From Tintin to 10,000. Go Starlink, go Falcon, go SpaceX.” Within an hour, SpaceX confirmed that the 28 satellites had been successfully deployed approximately 160 miles (260 kilometers) above the Earth. These satellites are expected to deploy their solar arrays and activate their plasma engines to ascend to their operational altitude of 332 miles (535 kilometers).
As SpaceX continues to expand its fleet, the company is also retiring older and non-functional satellites. These decommissioned satellites are designed to safely reenter the atmosphere, burning up completely before any debris can reach the ground.
According to McDowell, the current status of the Starlink fleet as of Monday, October 20, is as follows:
- 8,680 total Starlink satellites in orbit
- 8,664 functioning Starlink satellites in orbit, including the newly launched ones not yet operational
- 7,448 Starlink satellites in operational orbit
This means that approximately two-thirds of all operational satellites currently in orbit are part of Starlink, although determining the precise percentage is challenging due to the dynamic nature of satellite operations.
The European Space Agency estimates that around 12,500 functioning satellites are currently in orbit, indicating that SpaceX operates about 70 percent of all active satellites today.
The latest generation of Starlink satellites, referred to as V2 Mini, features solar arrays that stretch 100 feet (30 meters) from tip to tip. Future iterations, known as V3, will be too large for the Falcon 9 and are expected to launch in groups of 60 using SpaceX“s new Starship rocket, potentially beginning next year.
Additionally, Sunday”s launches were significant for another reason. The first mission, which launched from Florida”s Space Coast, marked the 31st flight of the most frequently used Falcon 9 booster. After its mission, the rocket successfully landed on a recovery ship in the Atlantic Ocean and will be refurbished for its 32nd flight. Several other boosters in SpaceX“s inventory are also approaching their 30th launch.
SpaceX has over 20 Falcon 9 boosters in its fleet on both coasts, with engineers now certifying these boosters for up to 40 flights each. The company”s record-setting streak is not yet finished, as it is poised to achieve another milestone this week, with a launch log of 132 Falcon 9 missions planned for 2025, equaling last year”s total. Furthermore, SpaceX completed two launches of the more powerful Falcon Heavy in 2024, bringing the total for that year to 134 missions by the Falcon rocket family, which stands as the highest number of launches for any single rocket family in a calendar year.
With its ambitious schedule, SpaceX is set to break its launch record later this weekend.
