Elon Musk wants to put more than 100,000 satellites in orbit. The goal: make Starlink the primary backbone for global internet and cellphone connectivity, not just a niche broadband provider for rural cabins and yacht owners.
Musk shared the ambitious target on May 24 via X, outlining plans for next-generation V3, V4, and V5 satellites that would collectively carry the majority of the world’s internet traffic.
The numbers behind the megaconstellation
Starlink already has over 10,000 satellites in orbit as of March 2026. That figure alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of all active satellites circling Earth.
To put the growth in perspective, SpaceX’s original 2016 plan called for approximately 4,425 satellites. A decade later, the target has ballooned by more than 20x.
