Starlink satellites all orbit at a similar distance from Earth, just above 500 kilometers. “Starlink is the densest patch of space that has ever existed,” Lawler says.

This "mid-range" mostly consists of telecommunication and navigation (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo) satellites, orbiting between 1,243 miles and 22,236 miles above the planet.The GPS constellation, which ...

If all Starlink launches are excluded, Falcon 9 is still the leader with 26 percent of launches, 44 percent of satellites launched, and 46 percent of mass to orbit in 2024.

Eutelsat-172b is the first all-electric satellite in orbit built by Airbus. Previously, electric orbit-raising has been used on four smaller and lighter craft built by Airbus’s U.S. competitor ...

There are 199 satellites currently in this orbit, but some space internet providers are considering moving here. And the reason for that is that low-Earth orbit (LEO) is getting crowded.

A satellite in a geosynchronous orbit holds the same position over Earth by matching the duration of its orbit to what is called Earth's sidereal day, the time required for the Earth to rotate ...

In 2024, a rocket was launched every 34 hours on average, putting more than 2,800 satellites into orbit. As of May 2025, there are roughly 11,700 active satellites in orbit around Earth, ...

Meanwhile, the second stage continued its ascent to orbit, loaded with satellites. In all, 143 satellites were sent into a sun-synchronous, pole-to-pole orbit aboard the Falcon 9 — including 13 ...

Satellites launched into this kind of orbit may have additional thrusters onboard, which are fired to subtly shift their arc. This is all with the intent of matching the speed of the Earth's ...