#SpaceX gets #FCC approval to launch 7,500 more #Starlink #satellites😱

by Anthony Ha
Sat, January 10, 2026

Excerpt: "The Federal Communications Commission announced Friday that it has given SpaceX approval to launch another 7,500 of its second-generation Starlink satellites, for a total of 15,000 satellites worldwide.

"Beyond simply allowing SpaceX to launch more satellites and expand its high-speed internet coverage, the FCC says its decision also means Starlink satellites can operate across five frequencies to provide direct-to-cell connectivity outside the United States, along with supplemental coverage in the U.S.

"Reuters reports that SpaceX had requested approval for an additional 15,000 satellites, but the FCC said it would 'defer authorization of the remaining 14,988 proposed Gen2 Starlink satellites.'

"SpaceX must launch 50% of the approved Starlink satellites by December 1, 2028, and the remaining 50% by December 2031, the FCC says."

Read more:
https://tech.yahoo.com/science/articles/spacex-gets-fcc-approval-launch-221121996.html

#KesslerSyndrome #SpaceDebris #KesslerEffect #LEO
#DarkSkies #Satellites #SpaceTrash #Landlines #SpacePollution

This will guarantee #KesslerSyndrome sooner than later!😱

As #SpaceX Works Toward 50K #Starlink Satellites, #China Eyes Deploying 200K

China's Institute of Radio Spectrum Utilization and Technological Innovation submits filings for two constellations, each of which could support 96,714 satellites, for a total of 193,428.

Michael Kan, January 12, 2026

Excerpt: "To counter China, the FCC has been expediting and streamlining its satellite approvals. This includes clearing SpaceX to operate another 7,500 satellites for its second-generation constellation. The regulator has also approved plans to operate Starlink satellites at lower orbits, from 340km to 485km. Currently, Starlink has over 9,400 orbiting satellites."

Read more:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/as-spacex-works-toward-50k-starlink-satellites-china-eyes-deploying-200k?test_uuid=04IpBmWGZleS0I0J3epvMrC&test_variant=B

#SpaceDebris #KesslerEffect #LEO
#DarkSkies #Satellites #SpaceTrash #Landlines #SpacePollution

Well, I think this is a hyperbole -- there will still be coax (axe/coax?) and fiber and good ol' landlines. Of course, #ElonMusk is trying to cut subsidies to those projects to divert money to #Starlink access!

#KesslerSyndrome: Space debris may create a future with no internet, TV, or mobile phone

By Quamrul Haider, 19 January 2025

Excerpt: "If, indeed, satellites collide or go offline because of overcrowded LEO, critical services like internet, navigation (GPS), weather forecasts, cell phones, television and other space-based technologies could fail. Needless to say, this will cause widespread disruption to modern life. Imagine life without social media!"

Read more:
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/kessler-syndrome-space-debris-may-create-future-no-internet-tv-or-mobile-phone-3802836

#KesslerEffect #Starlink #LEO #DarkSkies #Satellites #SpaceTrash #Landlines #SpacePollution

Will #Musk’s #Starlink satellites lead to #KesslerSyndrome?

#SpaceWeather poses a tremendous threat to all satellites, knocking all computer systems offline. Is that a recipe for Kessler syndrome?

"Over the past 4 years, the number of active satellites in #LowEarthOrbit have increased by several thousand, with tens of thousands more planned in the coming years. The ultimate nightmare is that we’ll experience Kessler syndrome: where a runaway chain reaction of collisions litters low-Earth orbit with millions of pieces of debris, making new launches all but impossible. Currently, Starlink satellites avoid collisions through on-board #AI software that tells them how to move. If that software gets knocked offline, such as by space weather, we have no protections against this catastrophe."

Read more:
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/musk-starlink-satellites-kessler-syndrome/

#KesslerEffect #StarlinkSatellites #DarkSkies #SpacePollution #LEO #Grounded

A short poem I wrote not too long ago...

"Starlink so bright,
Now we don't see stars at night."

#DarkSkies #StarlinkSatellites #SpacePollution #LightPollution

States demand fiber
Starlink wants billions in grants, but state governments aren’t cooperating

Despite Trump's backing, states aren't giving Starlink the money it demanded.
Jon Brodkin – Aug 21, 2025

"Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told states to 'take a tech-neutral approach' when evaluating Internet providers and to 'provide Internet access for the lowest cost.' The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is part of the Commerce Department, revised the program rules in a way that made it harder for states to justify spending on fiber networks, despite fiber's clear advantage over satellite in speed and capacity."

Read more:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/08/starlink-wants-billions-in-grants-but-state-governments-arent-cooperating/

#ElonSucks #SpaceX #Starlink #StarlinkSatellites #SpacePollution #LightPollution #DarkSkies #FiberOptic #Fiber