--- title: "SpaceX Just Unleashed 60 Starlink Satellites Into Orbit" description: "SpaceX just successfully unleashed 60 of its tiny Starlink satellites that are meant to bring internet broadband connectivity to people across the globe." date: "2019-05-24" modified: "2019-05-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-unleashes-starlink-satellites" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "satellites" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Just Unleashed 60 Starlink Satellites Into Orbit ![]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Starlink Express SpaceX just successfully let loose 60 of its tiny Starlink satellites, intended to bring internet broadband connectivity to people across the globe. While it's a good start, the Elon Musk-led space company still has its work cut out to truly bring internet to all. "In a year and a half, maybe two years, if things go well, SpaceX will probably have more satellites in orbit than all other satellites combined — a majority of the satellites in orbit will be SpaceX," Musk said during a conference call last week, as [quoted by *Space.com*](). https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1131765246664646657 The satellites launched on top of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida last night, but they aren't the last SpaceX intends to launch. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [approved SpaceX's request]() in November to launch an additional 7,518, bringing up the total of approved satellites to almost 12,000. In a [May 11 tweet](), Musk admitted that "much will likely go wrong on first mission," adding that at least six more launches of 60 satellites (360 in total) are "needed for minor coverage, 12 for moderate." https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1131748249763639296 ## Satellite Clutter The satellites aren't orbiting at the altitude of most other satellites currently in orbit. They are cruising at an operational altitude of just 340 miles (550 km) to avoid adding to the growing [space debris problem](). Worst case, according to Musk: they de-orbit themselves and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX's 60-Satellite Launch Is Just the Beginning for Ambitious Starlink Project]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on SpaceX:** *[SpaceX Component Engineer Charged With Faking Inspection Reports]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [SpaceX Found a Way To Keep Its Satellites From Cluttering Up Space]() - [Brand New SpaceX Satellite Falls to Its Death]() - [Geomagnetic Storm Kills 40 of SpaceX’s Starlink Satellites]() - [SpaceX’s Starlink Satellites Cause 1,600 Near-Crashes in Orbit Every Week]() - [SpaceX Has a Major Problem With Its Starlink Internet Connections]() - [Elon Musk Says Next-Gen Starlink Satellites Will Be So Huge They’ll Need to be Launched With Starship]() - [Elon Musk Is Furious That People Are Launching So Many Satellites, Even Though He’s Personally Responsible for 60 Percent of All Satellites Currently in Space]() - [SpaceX Rocket Crashes Into Ocean When Landing Fails]()