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SpaceX has announced plans to begin deploying its larger, advanced Starlink satellites by mid-2027. This anticipated upgrade to the satellite-internet network marks a major transition, as the company prepares to shift its launch operations to the massive, next-generation Starship rocket.
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this past Monday, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and Vice President of Starlink Mike Nicolls outlined the trajectory for the system’s expansion.
“With Starship we’ll be able to deploy the constellation very quickly,” Nicolls said. He further detailed the company’s ambitious short-term objectives.
“Our goal is to deploy a constellation capable of providing global and contiguous coverage within six months, and that’s roughly 1,200 satellites.”
Currently, the Starlink network stands as the world’s most extensive satellite constellation, maintaining nearly 10,000 units in orbit.
Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that the service will generate approximately $9 billion in revenue for SpaceX by 2026. While the fleet is presently ferried into space by the reliable Falcon 9 rocket, the future of the project hinges on Starship’s ability to transport significantly heavier payloads.
Nicolls noted that once operational, Starship will have the capacity to launch 50 of the larger-model satellites in a single mission. Following the establishment of this new tier, the company intends to expand further to achieve “truly global coverage, including the polar regions,” Nicolls said.
Despite a challenging testing phase in 2025, Starship development continues, with a new, enhanced version of the rocket slated for a test flight as early as this month.
The company is also rebranding its direct-to-cell feature as Starlink Mobile. This service currently utilizes 650 specialised satellites to connect directly to smartphones and supports 10 million monthly active users. Nicolls projected that the user base for Starlink Mobile will surpass 25 million by the conclusion of 2026.
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