Elon Musk now controls 62% of Earth’s active satellites after latest Starlink launch

Elon Musk has solidified his dominance in space, with nearly two-thirds of all active satellites now under his control.

This development follows the launch of SpaceX's 7,000th Starlink satellite, bringing the total number of active satellites to 6,370.

SpaceX’s internet satellite constellation, Starlink, has been expanding at an impressive rate, with an average of three satellites launched per day since its inception in 2019.

According to data from non-profit satellite tracker CelesTrak, SpaceX now controls over 62 percent of the world’s operational satellites.

This number is nearly ten times the amount operated by its closest competitor, OneWeb, a UK-based company that became reliant on SpaceX after the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced it to abandon launches with Russia’s Soyuz.

The Starlink constellation, designed to provide high-speed internet and phone connectivity worldwide, currently operates in 102 countries and serves over three million customers.

SpaceX plans to launch up to 42,000 satellites in total, extending coverage to more countries. Afghanistan, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria are excluded from the list due to trade embargoes and internet restrictions, but reports have surfaced of illegal Starlink equipment entering restricted regions like Iran.

Musk recently highlighted his control of the satellite network, tweeting, "Starlink now constitutes roughly 2/3 of all active Earth satellites."

This control has sparked concern about the amount of influence Musk holds through Starlink, Tesla, and X (formerly Twitter).

The billionaire once claimed, “Between Tesla, Starlink and Twitter, I may have more real-time global economic data in one head than anyone ever."

Starlink has faced challenges as well. In Brazil, after lawmakers imposed a ban on the X platform last week, Starlink initially made the app accessible to its users but later complied with the order.