SpaceX launched 1,589 Starlink satellites H1

SpaceX has launched 1,589 Starlink satellites in the first six months of 2026, according to launch data compiled by astronomer Jonathan McDowell and cited by The Verge on July 9. That figure matters because it puts SpaceX ahead of the pace needed to top its 2025 record of 3,180 Starlink satellites launched over a full year. The number also gives a cleaner way to read SpaceX’s launch cadence: the company is not just adding rockets to the manifest, it is continuing to use frequent Falcon 9 missions to expand the largest low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation now in service. (theverge.com) SpaceX’s launches page shows Starlink missions continuing into July, including flights on July 1, July 9, July 10 and July 13. ### Where does the 1,589 figure come from? Jonathan McDowell’s launch tracking, as cited by The Verge, is the basis for the first-half tally of 1,589 Starlink satellites. SpaceX’s own mission pages show the steady flow behind that total. A Jan. 30 Falcon 9 mission from Cape Canaveral carried 29 Starlink satellites, while an April 26 mission from Vandenberg carried 25. (spacex.com) A June 28 Starlink mission from Vandenberg added another 24 satellites, according to Spaceflight Now’s launch report. (theverge.com) ### How fast is SpaceX launching now? SpaceX’s public launch schedule shows a dense run of Starlink missions across both Florida and California pads. The company’s Starlink launches page lists completed missions on June 12, June 15, June 21, June 24 and June 28, followed by another Starlink launch on July 1. (spacex.com) Those listings show how SpaceX is sustaining volume: repeated Falcon 9 reuse, parallel operations from Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg, and payloads that typically carry two dozen or more satellites at a time. (spaceflightnow.com) Mission pages from January and April show loads of 29 and 25 satellites, respectively. ### How does that compare with Amazon’s network? Amazon said last week that its Amazon Leo network — formerly Project Kuiper — had completed 14 missions and launched more than 375 satellites. (spacex.com) Amazon described the system as the third-largest constellation in orbit. That means the social-media comparison to roughly 400 Amazon satellites is directionally close, but Amazon’s own current figure is “more than 375,” not 400. (spacex.com) Amazon has said its full first-generation network is planned at 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit. (aboutamazon.com) ### What does this say about the broader Starlink buildout? Spaceflight Now reported on June 28 that SpaceX had more than 10,700 satellites in orbit, citing McDowell’s tracking. That figure refers to the broader constellation in orbit, not just the satellites launched in the first half of 2026. (aboutamazon.com 1) (aboutamazon.com 2) SpaceX says Starlink is its low-Earth-orbit broadband network and continues to market the service globally through its Starlink site. ### What should readers watch next? July 9, July 10 and July 13 are the next Starlink launch dates listed on SpaceX’s launches page as of Thursday. A continued run at that pace would determine whether SpaceX exceeds its 2025 deployment record by year-end, while Amazon’s next launch updates will show how quickly its Amazon Leo constellation moves beyond the 375-satellite mark. (spacex.com) (spaceflightnow.com) (theverge.com) (spacex.com)