This will elevate the total count in orbit to 15,000 by the conclusion of 2031.
This will elevate the total count in orbit to 15,000 by the conclusion of 2031.
The FCC approved SpaceX’s initiative to deploy an extra 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites on Friday. This raises the company’s total satellite count in orbit to approximately 15,000 globally. As part of the approval process, the government has also opted to lift previous restrictions that barred overlapping coverage and improved capacity.
SpaceX initially requested authorization for 30,000 satellites, yet for the moment, the FCC is permitting only 15,000. The company faces a deadline as well; the government mandates that 50 percent of the Gen2 satellites need to be launched and operational by December 1, 2028, with the remainder to follow by December 2031. However, the firm appears quite pleased with the result. Musk and the administration previously experienced a notable public falling out earlier this year, yet it seems the owner of X has been repairing that connection.
The deployment of such a significant number of new satellites in orbit is likely to heighten concerns among astronomers who have raised issues regarding light pollution, as well as stir anxieties over space debris and orbital accidents. (The company had to reduce the altitude of several of its satellites earlier this year to mitigate collision risks.) Nonetheless, the potential for direct-to-cell connectivity outside the US, combined with internet speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps, seemingly outweighed these concerns.
