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Your guide to Starlink launches and why they matter so much to SpaceX
With a rate of one to two Florida launches a week, Starlink satellites now orbit the Earth in vast numbers.
Starlink earns billions for SpaceX, feeding CEO Elon Musk's expensive goal of making humans interplanetary. And the internet service offered by Starlink has brought connectivity to areas of the Earth long shut out from this advancing technology, while at the same time giving Musk significant global influence during times of catastrophe and war.
It all began here at Cape Canaveral just over six years ago. But while Starlink launches have become part of the daily life on the Space Coast, it's still not uncommon to hear the question: "Just what is Starlink?"
Put simply, Starlink is a satellite internet service engineered and launched by SpaceX. Orbiting overhead, these satellites make internet service available in areas on Earth which were traditionally unserved, providing access to millions. Starlink is also available across the United States.
"A decade ago there were only 1,300 working satellites. Today there are over 12,000 -- almost an order of magnitude increase, and most of this is due to SpaceX's Starlink constellation," Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY.
What is a SpaceX Starlink launch?
Starlink was first launched from Florida in May 2019 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch consisted of 60 Starlink satellites. These days, fewer satellites are lofted into orbit with each launch. More typically now, the number is in the 20s per launch.
It is unclear as to why SpaceX has reduced the number of Starlink satellites per launch. However, when revealing the current Starlink version, the V2 mini, in February 2023, SpaceX stated that the satellites now had "about four times more capacity per satellite than earlier iterations".
Already this year, there have been more than 60 Starlink launches from Florida. The satellites are also launched from from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The next Starlink launch is set for Thursday, August 14.
What is Starlink?
These satellites transmit internet from space, making it possible to provide access in areas that previously were hard to reach such as rural communities, mountainous zones and even out at sea.
Starlink offers internet service options for both businesses and individual customers. The standard kit starts at $349, with residential service starting at $80 per month. There is even a Starlink mini receiver which is small enough to fit in a backpack. Starlink mini is reported to offer speeds up to 280+ Mbps, which is comparable to 5G cell phone connectivity. That service starts at $50 per month.
Starlink service is also used by some airlines to offer in-flight internet to passengers. And it's been used by private astronauts in space. This was seen on the private Fram2 mission, which launched a crew of four to orbit in March 2025. The mission, funded by businessman Chun Wang, put Wang and three other explorers on the first human spaceflight around Earth's polar regions. From the time commander Wang entered the Dragon spacecraft all the way to splashdown, live updates were shared by the crew via Starlink.
Starlink and politics
Starlink has become a core of Musk's business empire.
Musk donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and served as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) until May 2025 tasked with cutting the federal government.
Musk's relationship with Trump soured over Trump's "big beautiful bill" and subsequently Musk has talked of starting a new political party.
However, Musk was involved in geopolitics even before his alignment with Trump. In 2022, when Russian invaded Ukraine, Musk provided thousands of Starlink terminals to assist with communication in Ukraine. But at some point, Musk raised concerns about Ukraine's planned use of Starlink for an offensive against Russia, said Caleb Henry, director of research at Quilty Space. That led to concerns that Musk might intervene.
As a result, many entities outside the U.S. have tried to move away from dependance on Starlink.
"I think that is the fear," said Henry. "That Musk has made threats around the assets that he owns or controls. And if he did do that, and deliver on it, it could cause people a lot of trouble."
The threat is valid even for the U.S., Henry noted, citing recent example of Musk threatening to decommission the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during a public online feud with President Trump. While Musk took back the threat, decommissioning the Dragon spacecraft would leave NASA without astronaut transportation.
Starlink and natural disasters
But it's important to note that Musk has also brought Starlink into play to help in natural disasters. SpaceX has broadcasted their willingness to help during the devastating hurricanes last year, and most recently, the flooding in Texas.
"In support of those impacted by flooding in Texas, Starlink is providing Mini kits for search and rescue efforts – ensuring connectivity even in dead zones – and one month of free service for thousands of customers in the region, including those who paused service so they can reactivate Starlink during this time," the company posted to X on July 5.
Henry told FLORIDA TODAY that while satellite communication is usually brought in during natural disasters, Starlink has become a more accessible option.
"In natural disasters, satellite communications is often the best," said Henry. "When disasters destroy towers or fibers, it can take a long time to get those restored, and natural disaster responses are measured in terms of hours and days, so there's not enough time to wait for terrestrial communications to be restored in short time frames."
When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Axiom, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
Starlink trains: what are those
Starlink has also changed the night sky.
In the hours after a launch of Starlink satellites, the satellites are still in a low orbit and close together. Shortly after sunset, people have noticed Starlink satellite "trains" crossing the sky. These "trains" look like multiple bright objects in a row that are visible for a brief time.
Once the satellites spread out and rise into a higher orbit, they become less visible from Earth.
But they are a headache for astronomers taking long exposure images of the night sky. During these long exposures, satellites crossing the image are a concern as astronomers have to edit the imperfection out. This costs additional time and money.
But in a bid to reduce that impact, Starlink's V2 mini models feature "a combination of dielectric mirror film, which reflects sunlight away from the Earth, and the SpaceX-developed, low-reflectivity black paint", according to SpaceX.
Starlink states that its satellites orbit at a much lower altitude than traditional satellites to deliver enhanced internet speed. While the typical satellite orbits at 35,786 km, Starlink orbits at only 550 km above Earth. To put it in perspective, that's 341.75 miles — approximately the distance between Jacksonville and Miami.
How many SpaceX Starlink satellites are in orbit?
With the frequent launch of Starlink satellites, the number of satellites in orbit have grown significantly.
McDowell told FLORIDA TODAY that to date, there are more than 8,000 Starlink satellites currently in orbit. That number is expected to grow.
By how much? SpaceX has not revealed recent estimations. However, the goal in 2019 was to have more than 11,000 satellites in low Earth orbit by the end of 2024. That goal has since fallen short.
FLORIDA TODAY reached out to SpaceX about current Starlink plans, but did not receive a response.
As of February 2025, SpaceX reported a launch of 7,946 Starlink satellites, a number which includes the 865 satellites which have deorbited since the beginning of the constellations in 2019.
Starlink is SpaceX's largest source of income
Starlink has become a major income source for SpaceX.
"I'd just like to thank everyone out there who supports Starlink, because you're helping secure the future of civilization and helping make life multiplanetary, and helping make humanity a spacefaring civilization," Musk said during a recent Starship update.
Back in 2023, Starlink achieved breakeven cashflow.
Musk claimed on X that SpaceX's revenue will amount to approximately $15.5 billion this year. Furthermore, Musk claims that SpaceX's revenue will exceed NASA's budget by roughly $1.1 billion next year.
While not all of that amount is from Starlink, Reuters reported in June that Starlink is still SpaceX's largest source of revenue.
Musk has claimed Starlink will go public, but hasn't provided any other details.
How SpaceX uses Starlink for Falcon 9 and Starship
Remember the days of low quality video from launching spacecraft? These days, SpaceX utilizes its Starlink to broadcast its stunning imagery. These views include the clear footage from orbit and even of the rocket booster landing on the drone ship.
SpaceX also uses Starlink revenue to pay for testing and development of its massive, fully reusable, Starship launch system.
As for the company's Starship, which currently launches from Texas, there have been many setbacks. When a design is finally successful, Starship will eventually launch from Florida. The former United Launch Alliance Delta rocket facilities at Launch Complex 37 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station were demolished to make room for a Starship facility development. The final ULA Delta IV rocket launched in April 2024.
Musk wants Starship to be SpaceX's next workhorse rocket. His goal is to use Starship to send humans to Mars and as human lander for NASA's Artemis III return to the moon. It will also deploy satellites, such as Starlink satellites, from a payload dispenser door built into the ship.
When humans do get to Mars, Musk dreams of establishing Starlink internet service on the red planet. Yet it won't be as instantaneous as communicating on Earth. Musk mentioned communication between Earth and Mars can take anywhere from three to 22 minutes, depending on the locations of the planets in orbit around the sun.
Jeff Bezos' Amazon Kuiper internet
Starlink does have a compeitor.
It's not just Musk who is in the satellite internet business. Amazon and Blue Origin founder, Jeff Bezos, has a stake in the industry with the Amazon Project Kuiper satellite internet service.
Like Starlink, Project Kuiper aims to deliver widespread internet service which reaches underserved areas.
The $10 billion Amazon project boasts a $140 million satellite processing plant at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where satellites will be processed before launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
To date, 78 Project Kuiper satellites have been launched atop United Launch Alliance Atlas V rockets − those launches consisting of 27 satellites each in April and June of this year. The plan is to eventually have 3,200 of the satellites in orbit.
The most recent Project Kuiper launch was on August 11, which saw 24 of the satellites launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Amazon Project Kuiper aims to begin offering service to customers beginning later this year.
When is the next SpaceX Starlink launch?
The next Starlink launch is set for no earlier than 6:47 a.m. Thursday, August 14 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX states it has until 10:47 a.m. to launch that day.
The mission is known as Starlink 10-20. Upon lift off, the Falcon 9 rocket will carry the Starlink payload on a northeast trajectory.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Guide to all things Starlink: Why these satellites are so key to SpaceX
