Latest Developments

SpaceX’s ambitions expanded dramatically this week as plans for a one-million-satellite AI data center constellation drew fierce pushback from the astronomy community, with scientists warning the sheer density of orbital streaks would fundamentally impair ground-based observations. Meanwhile, the operational Starlink machine kept its relentless cadence — the company completed its 25th launch of 2026 from Vandenberg Space Force Base on March 13, adding 25 satellites to a constellation that now counts 9,967 spacecraft in orbit, of which 9,956 are actively working. A second Starlink mission targeting Cape Canaveral was simultaneously being readied to orbit another 29 satellites, underscoring how tightly SpaceX’s launch pipeline is coiled. Behind the scenes, a sweeping NASASpaceFlight deep-dive into the Starfactory revealed just how vertically integrated and industrially scaled SpaceX’s Starship production has become in support of Moon and Mars goals.

Space Safety

The Starlink conjunction and reentry landscape for mid-March 2026 presents one elevated risk event requiring monitoring. A HIGH-risk conjunction between STARLINK-30857 and FLOCK 4G-17 is forecast for Mar 18, 05:05 UTC with a minimum separation of only 8 meters and collision probability reaching 1.0—this represents the most critical event in the current catalog. Beyond this outlier, one MODERATE-risk event and eight LOW-risk conjunctions are tracked, while seven Starlink satellites face predicted reentry between Mar 14-16, 2026, with decay windows ranging from 24 to 48 hours and no high-interest designations flagged.

Detailed Coverage

SpaceX’s 1-Million-Satellite AI Data Center Plan Draws Alarm from Astronomers

SpaceX has floated a concept to deploy up to one million small orbiting AI data centers — a constellation so vast it would dwarf every satellite network ever launched combined. Scientists and astronomers are sounding urgent alarms, arguing that the resulting proliferation of satellite streaks across the night sky would critically degrade optical and radio telescope observations, potentially rendering some scientific programs impossible.

The proposal lands at an already tense moment between SpaceX and the astronomy community, which has spent years negotiating mitigation measures for the existing Starlink fleet. With 9,967 Starlink satellites already in orbit and trackable via tools like KeepTrack, observers understand exactly how disruptive even the current constellation can be during twilight windows — a network orders of magnitude larger would present an entirely different category of problem for professional and amateur astronomers alike.

Read the full story: Space.com

Falcon 9 Completes 25th Starlink Launch of 2026 from Vandenberg

A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 7:57:59 a.m. PDT on March 13, carrying 25 Starlink satellites on the Starlink 17-31 mission. The successful deployment marked SpaceX’s 25th Starlink-dedicated mission of the year, a pace that — if sustained — would push the total launched count well beyond 11,513 before year’s end.

The West Coast launch site allows SpaceX to reach higher-inclination orbital shells that provide coverage at polar and sub-polar latitudes, broadening Starlink’s geographic reach. Once the freshly deployed satellites complete their phasing maneuvers and reach operational altitude, they will join a working fleet of 9,956 satellites actively serving customers globally.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Second Starlink Mission in 24 Hours Queued at Cape Canaveral

Hot on the heels of the Vandenberg launch, SpaceX reset a Cape Canaveral mission — Starlink 10-48 — targeting liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Saturday. The mission will carry 29 broadband satellites, continuing to fill out mid-inclination orbital planes that serve the densely populated mid-latitude band across North America, Europe, and Asia.

The back-to-back cadence from opposite U.S. coasts illustrates SpaceX’s ability to operate multiple launch pads simultaneously, maintaining a tempo that few competitors can approach. Each batch of satellites added to the constellation incrementally improves network capacity, reduces latency through denser coverage, and provides redundancy against in-orbit failures across the 9,956-strong working fleet.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Inside the Starfactory: How SpaceX Turns Steel Rolls into Starships

A comprehensive NASASpaceFlight investigation into SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas pulls back the curtain on the Starfactory — the sprawling industrial complex where raw stainless steel coils are progressively transformed into fully integrated Starship vehicles. The piece documents a manufacturing pipeline that has evolved from early hand-built prototypes into a semi-continuous production line capable of supporting SpaceX’s stated goal of building multiple Starships per month.

The scale and vertical integration on display at Starbase is directly relevant to SpaceX’s Moon and Mars timelines. NASA’s Artemis program depends on a Human Landing System variant of Starship, meaning the industrial health of the Starfactory has consequences far beyond commercial ambitions. The report highlights ongoing tooling investments and process refinements designed to compress the time between stacking a vehicle and rolling it to the orbital launch mount.

Read the full story: NASASpaceFlight

Constellation Status

There have been no changes to the Starlink constellation since the last check. The constellation currently consists of 11,513 total launched satellites, with 9,967 remaining in orbit, 9,956 of which are operational, while 1,546 have decayed from orbit.

• Total Launched: 11513
• Total On Orbit: 9967
• Total Working: 9956

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink