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Orbiting Now - active satellite orbit data
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SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites in 2019. As of September 2024, the constellation consists of over 7,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that communicate with designated ground transceivers. Nearly 12,000 satellites are planned to be deployed, with a possible later extension to 34,400. (Wikipedia)***
How many Starlink satellites are in orbit?
As of Feb. 27, 2025, there are 7,086 Starlink satellites in orbit, of which 7,052 are working, according to Astronomer Jonathan McDowell ,who tracks the constellation on his website.
The size and scale of the Starlink project concerns astronomers, who fear that the bright, orbiting objects will interfere with observations of the universe, as well as spaceflight safety experts who now see Starlink as the number one source of collision hazard in Earth's orbit. In addition to that, some scientists worry that the amount of metal that will be burning up in Earth's atmosphere as old satellites are deorbited could trigger unpredictable changes to the planet's climate. (Space.com - Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy)
As of Feb. 27, 2025, there are 7,086 Starlink satellites in orbit, of which 7,052 are working, according to Astronomer Jonathan McDowell ,who tracks the constellation on his website.
The size and scale of the Starlink project concerns astronomers, who fear that the bright, orbiting objects will interfere with observations of the universe, as well as spaceflight safety experts who now see Starlink as the number one source of collision hazard in Earth's orbit. In addition to that, some scientists worry that the amount of metal that will be burning up in Earth's atmosphere as old satellites are deorbited could trigger unpredictable changes to the planet's climate. (Space.com - Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy)
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Unprecedented Starlink ReentriesFeb. 5, 2025: What goes up, must come down–which could be a problem when you’re launching thousands of satellites. Since 2018, SpaceX has placed more than 7,000 Starlink satellites into Earth orbit, and now they are starting to come down. In January alone, more than 120 Starlinks deorbited, creating a shower of fireballs.
“The sustained rate of daily reentries is unprecedented,” says Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics who tracks satellites. “They are retiring and incinerating about 4 or 5 Starlinks every day.”
Planners have long known this would happen. First generation (Gen1) Starlink satellites are being retired to make way for newer models. “More than 500 of the 4700 Gen1 Starlinks have now reentered,” says McDowell.
When Starlinks reenter, they disintegrate before hitting the ground, adding metallic vapors to the atmosphere. A study published in 2023 found evidence of the lingering debris. In February 2023, NASA flew a WB-57 aircraft 60,000 feet over Alaska to collect aerosols. 10% of the particles contained aluminum and other metals from the “burn-up” of satellites.
What we’re observing is a giant uncontrolled experiment in atmospheric chemistry. The demise of just one Gen1 Starlink satellite produces about 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of aluminum oxide, a compound that eats away at the ozone layer. A new study finds these oxides have increased 8-fold between 2016 and 2022, and the recent surge is increasing the pollution even more. (Spaceweather.com - Unprecedented Starlink Recoveries)
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[ed. Don't look up. Remember, these are just satellites, I assume/hope someone is keeping track of all the other space junk out there (NASA? they still around?). The Orbiting Now website is an incredible resource, definitely worth exploring if you're into this kind of stuff. So, to sum up: it sounds like there are roughly 11,500 satellites in orbit now (US, China, Russia, etc.), with approximately 7086 Starlink, and another 12,000 - 34,400 likely to be added in the near future. And if that's not enough, there's this (source):]
And on the subject of SpaceX-generated space debris, SpaceX’s recent Starship launch ended with the Starship exploding during ascent, requiring commercial flights in the debris path to divert to avoid it. Scott Manley shares a video of the diverting aircraft on Twitter:
And on the subject of SpaceX-generated space debris, SpaceX’s recent Starship launch ended with the Starship exploding during ascent, requiring commercial flights in the debris path to divert to avoid it. Scott Manley shares a video of the diverting aircraft on Twitter:
