Elon Musk's SpaceX company's Starlink project has reached a new stage — the number of artificial satellites in orbit has exceeded 10,000. This was reported by the publication Spaceflight Now.
It is reported that on the night of March 17 this year, SpaceX successfully launched another 25 Starlink satellites into orbit. This was the 17th orbital mission carried out since the beginning of 2026, demonstrating the company's high operational pace.
Overall, in 2026, the average frequency of SpaceX launches corresponds to approximately one every two to three days. The majority of the 33 Falcon 9 rocket launches carried out since the beginning of the year have been precisely dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites into orbit.
Currently, the Starlink service has over 10 million active users in more than 160 countries worldwide. This system was developed to create a global internet network, providing the ability to deliver high-speed internet even to the most remote areas.
The project was first announced in 2015, and commercial launches began in 2019. Starlink satellites are located in low Earth orbit — at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers. This helps minimize internet signal latency.
Users connect to the network via special terminal devices. These terminals automatically switch connection from one satellite to another. The satellites are equipped with laser communication systems for inter-satellite data exchange and also use ion thrusters to adjust their position in orbit.
According to experts, the average service life of each satellite is about 5 years. After that, they are deorbited and burn up in the atmosphere.
