The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said on Friday that it has approved SpaceX’s request to launch another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites. This will help the company improve internet services across the world. With this approval, Elon Musk’s SpaceX can now operate a total of 15,000 Gen2 Starlink satellites globally, according to a report by Reuters.
The FCC is also allowing SpaceX to upgrade these satellites, use five different frequencies and has removed old rules that stopped overlapping coverage and higher capacity, the report mentioned.
The FCC said these extra satellites will offer direct-to-cell connectivity outside the US, along with additional coverage within the country. This will support next-generation mobile services and internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.
FCC chair calls approval a major breakthrough
“This FCC authorisation is a game-changer for enabling next-generation services. By authorising 15,000 new and advanced satellites, the FCC has given SpaceX the green light to deliver unprecedented satellite broadband capabilities, strengthen competition, and help ensure that no community is left behind,” Reuters reported quoting FCC Chair Brendan Carr.
SpaceX had asked for permission to launch nearly 30,000 satellites, but the FCC has approved only 15,000 for now.
“We find that authorization for additional satellites is in the public interest, even as the Gen2 Starlink Upgrade satellites remain untested on orbit. We defer authorization of the remaining 14,988 proposed Gen2 Starlink satellites, including satellites proposed for operations above 600 km,” the FCC said.
Deadlines set for SpaceX deployment
The FCC also set deadlines for SpaceX. It must launch 50% of the authorized Gen2 satellites, place them in their planned orbits, and start operating them by December 1, 2028. The remaining satellites must be launched by December 2031. SpaceX must also finish deploying the 7,500 first-generation satellites by late November 2027, the report said.
Last week, Starlink announced that it will reorganize part of its satellite network by lowering the orbit of satellites from around 550 km to 480 km during 2026 to improve space safety. In December, Starlink also said that one of its satellites had a problem in space, which created a “small” amount of debris and stopped communication with the spacecraft at 418 km – a rare type of accidental event for the company.
SpaceX is now the world’s largest satellite operator through Starlink, which has about 9,400 satellites providing internet to consumers, companies, and governments.