SpaceX intends to launch 42,000 satellites into space

The US aerospace company files an application to the International Telecommunications Union to arrange the spectrum for tens of thousands of Starlink satellites.

60 Starlink satellites stowed in Falcon 9 when preparing to launch in May. (Image: SpaceX / Elon Musk)

In the new file, SpaceX registered 30,000 Internet Starlink satellites operating in low Earth orbit with altitudes from 328 to 580km, Space reported today. The company was previously authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

Submission of documents to the International Telecommunication Union, the agency managing the global satellite radio frequency spectrum, is only the first step. After that, SpaceX needs approval from the FCC, the US telecommunications service regulator.

Whether SpaceX can produce and launch all satellites as registered or not remains uncertain. However, it only needs to launch a small fraction of the 42,000 satellites that have made a major change in the Earth's orbit. Currently, there are about 2,000 satellites operating around the Earth. Since 1957, when the "Space Age" began, fewer than 9,000 artificial objects have been launched into space.

SpaceX launched the first 60 Starlink satellites in May and plans to launch hundreds or even more than 1,000 satellites next year. SpaceX is not the only company planning to establish a huge satellite network. Amazon and OneWeb also plan to launch a series of telecommunications satellites into low Earth orbit.