Starlink
Starlink news and explainers: SpaceX's broadband constellation, its launches and orbits, direct-to-cell service and its effect on astronomy.
Top stories
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How many times can a Falcon 9 booster fly? The reuse record
Falcon 9 booster B1067 flew a record 37th time on August 25, 2026. SpaceX says its boosters are built for up to 40 flights.
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What is SpaceX Starship? Size, engines and flight record
SpaceX Starship is a two-stage rocket, 124.4 m tall, built to be fully reused. Its 14th flight reached orbit on September 28, 2026.
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How many Amazon Kuiper satellites are in orbit? Leo's fleet
Amazon reported 396 Kuiper satellites launched by July 2026. On October 11, CelesTrak's active list held 391 Amazon Leo satellites, 375 near 630 km up.
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Can satellites connect directly to your phone? How it works
Satellites can connect directly to your phone for texts. Starlink says it has launched 650 direct-to-cell satellites. How it works and who offers it.
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How does Starlink work? Orbits, dishes and laser links
Starlink links a phased-array dish to more than 11,000 satellites, most in shells about 460 to 485 km up, which relay traffic by laser and through gateways.
Latest
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How long do satellites last? Lifespan by orbit and type
How long do satellites last? Most active ones are Starlinks, built for five years. New GPS satellites get 15, and Landsat 5, built for three, lasted 28 years.
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How many rocket launches in 2026? The count so far
Rocket launches in 2026 reached about 240 orbital attempts by mid-October, one every 28.5 hours. How it compares with 2025's record and what the catalog shows.
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What happens when a satellite reenters the atmosphere?
When a satellite reenters the atmosphere it breaks apart about 78 km up and mostly melts away, though tanks can survive. About two Starlinks fall each day.
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Do satellites affect astronomy? Streaks, Starlink and Rubin
Do satellites affect astronomy? Streaks crossed 2.7% of Hubble exposures from 2002 to 2021, and Rubin simulates trails in about 10% of its survey images.
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How do solar storms affect satellites? Drag, GPS, Starlink
Solar storms affect satellites by heating the upper air, which adds drag in low orbit, and by skewing GPS. A mild 2022 storm downed 38 of 49 new Starlinks.
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Starship Flight 14 reached orbit: tracking its 26 Starlinks
Starship reached orbit for the first time on September 28, 2026 and left 26 Starlink V3 satellites behind. Their NORAD IDs, and how high they've climbed.
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Two-thirds of active satellites are now Starlinks
Of 16,621 active satellites in the public catalog, 11,132 are Starlinks. How many satellites are in orbit in 2026, who runs them and where they fly.
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