"Two Falcon 9 rockets lifted off from spaceports in Florida and California on Sunday afternoon, adding 56 more satellites to SpaceX's Starlink broadband network. The second of these two launches-originating from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California -propelled SpaceX's Starlink program past a notable milestone. With the satellites added to the constellation Sunday, the company has delivered more than 10,000 mass-produced Starlink spacecraft to low-Earth orbit."
"The exact figure stands at 10,006 satellites, according to a tabulation by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who expertly tracks comings and goings between Earth and space. This number includes dozens of Starlink demo satellites, but not the dummy spacecraft carried on SpaceX's recent Starship test flights. The Starlink network surpassed 7 million global subscribers in August, primarily beaming Internet connectivity to homes and businesses. SpaceX is now aggressively pushing to broaden its service direct to smartphones."
"The first two Starlink prototypes, named Tintin A and Tintin B, launched in 2018 as pathfinders. SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites with a radically different design in 2019, initially flying 60 satellites at a time. The number of spacecraft per launch has gone down as the satellites grew larger and more capable, with the Falcon 9's capacity now maxed out at 28 satellites per flight."
Two Falcon 9 rockets launched from Florida and California, adding 56 satellites to the Starlink broadband network. The Vandenberg launch pushed the constellation past 10,000 mass-produced spacecraft, reaching a tabulated total of 10,006 satellites. That count includes demo satellites but excludes dummy payloads from Starship tests. Starlink surpassed 7 million global subscribers in August, serving homes and businesses while moving to offer service directly to smartphones. Early prototypes Tintin A and B flew in 2018; production launches began in 2019 with 60 per flight. Falcon 9 payloads have since been reduced to a 28-satellite capacity per mission.
Read at Ars Technica
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