Starlink Satellite Constellation Hits 10,000 Launch Milestone Amid Environmental Concerns
SpaceX has launched over 10,000 Starlink satellites since 2019, with approximately 8,680 currently operational. Scientists warn that growing satellite constellations could generate space debris and potentially harm Earth’s atmosphere through chemical changes.
Starlink’s Rapid Expansion Reaches New Milestone
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet constellation has surpassed 10,000 launches since the project began in 2019, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Sources indicate that of the 10,044 satellites launched to date, approximately 8,680 remain actively operating in low-Earth orbit, while analysts suggest one to two satellites re-enter Earth’s atmosphere daily through controlled deorbiting or accidental failures.