The FCC on Friday approved SpaceX’s plan to launch an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites. This will bring the total number of satellites the company has in orbit around the world to about 15,000. As part of the approval, the government is also waiving previous requirements that prevented overlapping coverage and increased capacity.
SpaceX originally sought approval for 30,000 satellites, but for now, the FCC is only giving the green light to 15,000. The company will also be on deadline. The government says 50 percent of the Gen2 satellites should be launched and operational by December 1, 2028, and the rest by December 2031. But the company seems quite satisfied with the results. Musk and the administration had a public falling out earlier this year, but it looks like the former boss is mending that relationship.
The number of new satellites in orbit is likely to raise concerns among astronomers who have complained about light pollution, as well as concerns over space junk and orbital collisions. (The company had to lower the orbit of several of its satellites earlier this year to reduce the risk of collision.) But the promise of Internet speeds of up to 1Gbps, along with direct-to-cell connectivity outside the US, was clearly a winner.
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