---
title: "SpaceX Deploys 60 More of Its Controversial Starlink Satellites"
description: "On Monday, SpaceX deployed 60 Starlink satellites, enough to earn the company the title of world's largest commercial satellite operator."
date: "2020-01-07"
modified: "2020-01-08"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-deploys-60-starlink-satellites"
categories:
  - "Space"
  - "SpaceX"
tags:
  - "satellites"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "starlink"
  - "the digest"
---

# SpaceX Deploys 60 More of Its Controversial Starlink Satellites

![On Monday, SpaceX deployed 60 Starlink satellites, enough to earn the company the title of world's largest commercial satellite operator.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/spacex-deploys-60-starlink-satellites.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: SpaceX\</em\>*

## One of a Kind

On Monday, SpaceX used a Falcon 9 rocket to successfully deploy 60 Starlink satellites. That brings the total number of its micro-sats in orbit up to [at least 172](<https://spacenews.com/spacex-becomes-operator-of-worlds-largest-commercial-satellite-constellation-with-starlink-launch/>) — and makes SpaceX the world's largest commercial satellite operator.

One of the [satellites](<https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/01/with-monday-night-launch-spacex-to-become-worlds-largest-satellite-operator/>) SpaceX launched on Monday, however, is unlike all the others: it's coated in an "experimental darkening treatment" designed to address some of the [problems](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starlink-satellites-ufos>) the satellites are causing back on Earth.

## Unsafe Space

In 2019, SpaceX successfully placed [two](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-unleashes-starlink-satellites>) [batches](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/watch-spacex-launch-60-starlink-satellites>) of 60 Starlink satellites each into low-Earth orbit. It already has plans for upwards of 20 more deployments this year, all as part of its goal to create an internet-beaming megaconstellation comprising up to [42,000 satellites](<https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-internet-satellites-itc-filing-30000-additional-42000-total-2019-10>).

But even prior to Monday's launch, astronomers were already [complaining](<https://futurism.com/scientists-spacex-satellites-threaten-astronomy-itself>) that the Starlink constellation was [interfering with their observations](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/astronomers-spacex-satellites-blocking-view>). Some even suggested the micro-sats could make it impossible for them to detect a [killer asteroid](<https://futurism.com/spacex-starlink-hide-killer-asteroids>) headed toward Earth.

## Paint It Black

In December, SpaceX's President and COO Gwynne Shotwell [announced](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-fix-sky-killing-starlink-satellites>) that the company would coat one of its soon-to-be-deployed satellites in an anti-reflective paint to address the visibility concerns.

Shotwell said at the time that finding a solution might take some "trial and error," but it's encouraging that SpaceX is trying to address the problem now — and not after it already has thousands of satellites cluttering up the sky.

**READ MORE:** [SpaceX is now the world’s largest satellite operator \[Updated\]](<https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/01/with-monday-night-launch-spacex-to-become-worlds-largest-satellite-operator/>) \[*Ars Technica*\]

**More on Starlink**: *[SpaceX: We’re Working to Fix Sky-Killing Starlink Satellites](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-fix-sky-killing-starlink-satellites>)*

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)