Latest Developments

NASA is moving to formally expand SpaceX’s commercial crew contract with additional ISS rotation missions, a direct hedge against the growing uncertainty surrounding Boeing’s Starliner certification — a development that further entrenches SpaceX as the backbone of American human spaceflight. The move comes as SpaceX simultaneously maintains a relentless launch cadence, with the Starlink 10-47 mission marking the company’s 60th orbital flight of 2026 alone. With 12,032 Starlink satellites launched to date, 10,413 currently in orbit, and 10,397 confirmed operational, the constellation continues its steady march toward full global saturation. Together, these developments underscore a week in which SpaceX’s dominance across both crew transport and broadband infrastructure was reinforced at the institutional level.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction threat picture shows four moderate-risk events concentrated in mid-April 2026, with no high-risk conjunctions currently identified. The most significant threat involves STARLINK-33563 approaching COSMOS 2251 debris on Apr 13, 2026 at 21:44 UTC with a maximum collision probability of 39.73%, though the relative velocity of 11.3 km/s and minimum range of 12 meters remain concerning. Reentry predictions show 11 Starlink objects with decay epochs spanning May 24–28, 2026, with decay uncertainties ranging from 120 to 2,880 minutes; none are flagged as high-interest at this time.

Detailed Coverage

NASA Moves to Lock In More SpaceX Crew Flights as Boeing Starliner Future Grows Uncertain

NASA is preparing to add missions to its existing Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract with SpaceX, according to SpaceNews, reflecting the agency’s growing concern that Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner may never achieve full certification for operational ISS crew rotation. The decision is both pragmatic and politically significant — it acknowledges in contractual terms what has been operationally true for some time: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is the only currently reliable American vehicle for getting astronauts to and from the station.

The expansion of the SpaceX contract also raises pointed questions about the future of NASA’s dual-provider strategy, which was designed to prevent over-reliance on any single commercial partner. From a tracking perspective, each Crew Dragon mission adds another active spacecraft to low Earth orbit, and Crew Dragon vehicles have occasionally required active maneuvering that intersects with the broader Starlink shell — a coordination challenge that grows as both fleets expand.

Read the full story: SpaceNews

SpaceX Reaches 60th Orbital Launch of 2026 with Starlink 10-47 Mission

SpaceX conducted the Starlink 10-47 mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, deploying 29 more Starlink satellites and marking the company’s 60th orbital flight of the year — a number that includes one Falcon Heavy and 59 Falcon 9 missions. The launch window opened at 7:41 a.m. EDT (1141 UTC), continuing a pace that, if maintained, would put SpaceX on track to shatter its own annual launch records before the end of summer.

Each batch of 29 satellites adds to a constellation that already numbers 10,397 working spacecraft on orbit. The rapid injection of new planes also presents an ongoing cataloging challenge for space surveillance networks: freshly deployed Starlink batches in their low initial parking orbits are among the most densely packed temporary clusters in LEO, requiring careful monitoring during the days-long drift and raise sequence before satellites settle into their operational shells.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Constellation Status

No changes have occurred in the Starlink constellation since the last check. As of May 25, 2026, the constellation maintains 12,032 total launched satellites, with 10,413 currently in orbit, 10,397 in working condition, and 1,619 that have decayed.

• Total Launched: 12032
• Total On Orbit: 10413
• Total Working: 10397

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink