The FCC is letting SpaceX launch 7,500 more Starlink satellites

The FCC on Friday approved SpaceX’s plan to launch 7,500 additional Gen2 Starlink satellites. This brings the total number of satellites the company will have in orbit to around 15,000 worldwide. As part of this approval, the government is also waiving previous requirements that prevented overlap in coverage and strengthened capacity.

SpaceX had initially requested approval for 30,000 satellites, but so far the FCC is only greenlighting 15,000. The company will also have a deadline. The government says 50% of the Gen2 satellites must be launched and operational by December 1, 2028, with the remainder to follow by December 2031. But the company seems very happy with the outcome. Musk and the administration had a bit of a public falling out earlier this year, but it appears the X owner has reestablished that relationship.

The sheer number of new satellites in orbit is likely to raise concerns among astronomers who have complained about light pollution, as well as increase worries about space debris and orbital collisions. (The company already had to lower the orbit of several of its satellites earlier this year to reduce the risk of collision.) But the promise of direct connectivity to cells outside the United States, as well as Internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps, has apparently taken over.