Latest Developments

SpaceX is closing in on the debut test launch of Starship V3, with an April 2026 target window now in sight — a milestone that could dramatically reshape the economics and cadence of Starlink constellation buildout. The upgrade represents a significant step beyond the current vehicle’s capabilities, potentially enabling larger payload manifests per flight. With 11,587 Starlink satellites launched to date, 10,072 currently in orbit, and 10,062 actively working, the pressure to field higher-throughput, next-generation hardware makes V3’s arrival strategically critical. A successful debut would position SpaceX to accelerate both commercial and government constellation goals well into 2027.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction picture reveals one HIGH risk event requiring immediate attention, alongside a moderate risk conjunction and seven lower-risk events spanning late March 2026. STARLINK-36658 faces a critical conjunction with the operational SITRO-AIS 37 on Mar 20, 06:23 UTC with a minimum range of only 0.009 km and maximum collision probability of 1.0, representing the most concerning near-term collision threat in the tracked catalog. Additionally, ten Starlink satellites are currently in reentry prediction windows, with decay epochs concentrated between Mar 20-23, 2026, though none are flagged as high-interest objects.

Detailed Coverage

Starship V3 Eyes April Launch Window in Major Capability Leap

SpaceX is putting final preparations on Starship V3, the latest iteration of its fully reusable super-heavy-lift launch system, with engineers targeting April 2026 for the vehicle’s first test flight. The new version is expected to bring meaningful improvements over V2 in thrust, payload capacity, and reusability margins — changes that matter enormously when you are trying to sustain and grow a constellation of more than 10,000 active satellites while simultaneously chasing revenue from commercial and government customers.

For Starlink specifically, a higher-capacity Starship translates directly into fewer flights needed to maintain orbital shell density and deploy next-generation V3 Starlink hardware. Analysts tracking the constellation note that replacement and expansion cadence is increasingly constrained by launch tempo rather than manufacturing, making V3’s debut one of the most consequential near-term events on the SpaceX manifest. KeepTrack orbital data will be watching closely for any test-article deployment signatures following the debut flight.

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Constellation Status

There have been no changes to the Starlink constellation since the last check. The constellation currently consists of 11,587 total launched satellites, with 10,072 remaining in orbit, of which 10,062 are operational and functioning as intended, while 1,515 have decayed from orbit.

• Total Launched: 11587
• Total On Orbit: 10072
• Total Working: 10062

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink