Starlink is SpaceX's 30,000-satellite low Earth orbit constellation to provide global broadband Internet access. The mass-produced spacecraft carry a communications payload using the Ku, Ka and E frequency bands. The satellites will employ optical inter-satellite links and phased array beam forming and digital processing technologies.
positioning
Starlink is not a market leader so much as the market itself: 10,742 satellites on orbit per CelesTrak, sixteen times OneWeb's 651, flying on the operator's own rockets and setting the price every rival has to explain away. The bet against it is concentration: one operator, one launcher, and regulators holding the spectrum pen.
facts
sats active (verified) counts objects currently tracked in CelesTrak's catalog for this constellation. It is a tracking count, not an operator claim about satellite health.
orbit
crawled events
- notable2026-11-05Deutsche Telekom CEO says SpaceX needs $200 billion to rival carriers
- noise2026-11-05Mittal says countries need their own satellite networks instead of relying on Starlink
- notable2026-11-05Ukraine's Starshield contract with the US set to expire in 2027
- notable2026-11-05United brings personal Spotify streaming to Starlink-enabled seatback screens
- notable2026-11-04SpaceX picks Qualcomm to build Starlink Mobile's nationwide 5G network
- noise2026-11-03Connected Solutions Group becomes authorized Starlink business reseller
- noise2026-11-03Texas homeowners accuse SpaceX of knowingly damaging homes with sonic booms
- notable2026-11-02Boost Mobile's Adderton tells AST SpaceMobile to pivot fast on SpaceX threat
- major2026-11-02SpaceX in talks to buy or access EchoStar's Boost Mobile network
- noise2026-11-02STIF wins first SpaceX order for explosion containment valves
- noise2026-11-01ReOrbit pitches Australia a 600-1,000-satellite sovereign Starlink alternative
- notable2026-10-31SpaceX flies Falcon 9 for the 700th time
latest 12 of 224 items naming this entity
timeline
- 20242024-01-02SpaceX launches first Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capability with T-Mobileas of 2026-07-05
- 2024-01SpaceX launches first direct-to-cell Starlink satellites (per TechCrunch)as of 2026-07-05
- 2024Starlink subscribers reach 4.4 million in 2024 (per Via Satellite/SpaceX S-1)as of 2026-07-05
- 20202020-10-28SpaceX opens public Starlink beta at $99 a month (per Via Satellite)as of 2026-07-05
- 2020-10-28SpaceX opens Starlink public beta at $99 a month (per Via Satellite)as of 2026-07-05
- 20192019-05-24SpaceX launches first 60 Starlink satellitesas of 2026-07-05
- 20182018-03-29FCC authorizes SpaceX's 4,425-satellite Starlink constellation (per Space.com)as of 2026-07-05
sources
Includes data from Gunter's Space Page: doc_sdat/starlink-v0-9.htm, doc_sdat/starlink-v2-mini.htm
Includes data from GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org/space/gcat), CC-BY.
faq
Who operates Starlink?
Starlink is operated by SpaceX. as of 2026-07-05
How many Starlink satellites are active on orbit?
CelesTrak's catalog currently tracks 11206 objects for Starlink. as of 2026-11-06
When did Starlink first launch?
Starlink first launched on 2019-05-24. as of 2026-07-05