SpaceX is nothing if not ambitious.
Elon Musk‘s company just filed an application with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate a 100,000-member constellation of “Gen3” satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).
This will presumably be an updated version of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, according to astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, who reported the news via X today (July 9).
SpaceX have filed for a 100,00 satellite “Gen3 NGSO” system. Presumably Starlink Gen3, but they don’t call it that. The sats are 2000-2500 kg, area 300 to 400 sq m. Orbits 320-480 km at various inclinations. Have added to my page at https://t.co/uFI9aoSNnMJuly 9, 2026
The new plan would dramatically expand Starlink’s already extensive orbital footprint. SpaceX currently operates nearly 10,800 of the internet spacecraft in LEO and has FCC approval for about 4,000 more.
And each individual Gen3 satellite will be considerably larger than its predecessors. According to McDowell, SpaceX’s FCC application states that each one will weigh 4,400 to 5,500 pounds (2,000 to 2,500 kilograms) and cover an area of 3,230 to 4,300 square feet (300 to 400 square meters) with its solar arrays extended.
For perspective: The Starlink satellite version that SpaceX is launching these days, known as the V2 Mini, weighs about 1,760 pounds (800 kg) and covers about 1,250 square feet (116 square meters), according to SpaceflightNow.
SpaceX launches V2 Minis aboard its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, generally in fleets of 29 satellites apiece. The Gen3 is so big, however, that it will probably need to fly on Starship, the giant, super-heavy-lift rocket that SpaceX is developing to help get people to the moon and Mars, among other tasks.
Starlink Gen3 isn’t even the biggest satellite assemblage that SpaceX is cooking up: The company also aims to build a million-strong AI megaconstellation called Starmind.
“Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev II-level civilization, one that can harness the sun’s full power, while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity’s multi-planetary future,” Musk wrote in a February 2026 update about the planned AI constellation.
A number of other companies, including Amazon and Blue Origin, are also building out large constellations in LEO, or plan to do so in the near future.
A variety of people and organizations have objected to how crowded Earth orbit is becoming, voicing concerns about the effects on astronomical observations, wildlife, Earth’s atmosphere and humanity’s enjoyment of the night sky, among other issues.
