SpaceX today received US permission to launch another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites, bringing its total authorization to 15,000 Gen2 satellites including those previously approved.
“Under this grant, SpaceX is authorized to construct, deploy, and operate an additional 7,500 Gen2 Starlink satellites, bringing the total to 15,000 satellites worldwide,” the Federal Communications Commission announced today. “This expansion will enable SpaceX to deliver high-speed, low-latency Internet service globally, including enhanced mobile and supplemental coverage from space.”
The FCC gave SpaceX permission for the first set of 7,500 satellites in December 2022. The agency deferred action on the rest of the second-generation constellation at the time and limited the first batch to certain altitudes, saying it needed to “address concerns about orbital debris and space safety” before approving the full bunch.
The FCC said today’s order allows SpaceX to “upgrade the Gen2 Starlink satellites with advanced form factors and cutting-edge technology,” and “operate across Ku-, Ka-, V-, E-, and W-band frequencies, supporting both Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS).” The FCC said it is waiving “obsolete requirements that prevented overlapping beam coverage and enhanced capacity,” and is letting SpaceX “add new orbital shells at altitudes ranging from 340 km to 485 km, optimizing coverage and performance.”
The news follows SpaceX’s announcement of maneuvers that will lower about 4,400 of the company’s existing satellites from an altitude of 341 miles (550 kilometers) to 298 miles (480 kilometers) during 2026. SpaceX said it is making the change to increase space safety as the lower altitudes have less debris that satellites could collide with.
The 2022 authorization for the first 7,500 satellites didn’t include mobile service, but the FCC decided in November 2024 that SpaceX could use those satellites to provide Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) in the US. Starlink’s mobile system provides service to smartphones in areas not covered by terrestrial cellular networks.