Starlink Constellation
Overview
The largest satellite constellation ever flown: 10,800+ active satellites in low Earth orbit delivering broadband across 160+ countries, with laser inter-satellite links and multiple weekly Falcon 9 deployment launches.
V2 Mini satellites launch on Falcon 9 several times a week. Next-generation V3 satellites (~1 Tbps downlink each, only launchable on Starship) began deployment on July 24, 2026, when Starship Flight 13 released the first 20 operational V3s and SpaceX confirmed contact with all of them, even as the Super Heavy booster's landing burn came up short. SpaceX filed with the FCC on September 1, 2026 for Starship Flight 14 to launch NET September 15, 2026, carrying roughly 20 more operational V3s on what would be Starship's first genuine orbital-trajectory flight (the upper-stage tower catch has been pushed out). SpaceX says a 'critical mass' of about 1,000 V3 satellites is needed before the new hardware meaningfully improves network capacity, expected around Q2 2027.