Latest Developments

SpaceX completed its third mission for AST SpaceMobile early Monday morning, delivering three Block 2 BlueBird satellites to orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Pad 40 — a generational step up in AST’s direct-to-cell hardware that sets the stage for broader commercial mobile coverage. The Block 2 iteration represents a significant capability leap over earlier BlueBirds, with improved antenna arrays targeting mainstream smartphone connectivity without specialized handsets. Meanwhile, with 12,318 Starlink satellites launched, 10,666 in orbit, and 10,650 actively working, SpaceX’s own direct-to-cell ambitions continue to grow alongside — and in competition with — AST’s expanding constellation. Off the pad, Elon Musk’s deepening Tesla financial stake is reviving Wall Street speculation about a potential SpaceX-Tesla merger, adding a corporate governance dimension to an already complex week for the company.

Space Safety

The current Starlink conjunction and reentry threat picture shows manageable but monitored risk levels across June 2026. Two MODERATE-risk conjunctions have been identified involving partially operational Starlink satellites, with the highest probability event occurring on Jun 10 between STARLINK-30526 and STARLINK-35247 at 0.30 collision probability; the remaining eight events are classified as LOW risk. On the reentry front, two Starlink satellites are predicted to decay during this period, with controlled decay windows exceeding 17 hours each.

Detailed Coverage

SpaceX Lofts First Block 2 BlueBirds, Raising the Stakes in Direct-to-Cell Race

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifted off at 2:39 a.m. EDT (06:39 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, carrying three Block 2 BlueBird satellites for AST SpaceMobile in the company’s most capable commercial payload yet. The Block 2 generation is engineered to deliver materially higher data throughput and broader geographic coverage than its predecessors, a critical advancement as AST moves from demonstration to full commercial service targeting unmodified 4G and 5G handsets.

For satellite trackers, the newly deployed trio will join the growing AST constellation in low Earth orbit and can be expected to appear in NORAD tracking catalogs within hours of separation confirmation. The mission marks the third SpaceX-AST flight overall and signals an accelerating cadence as both companies race to define the direct-to-cell market — a segment where Starlink’s own Gen 2 satellites already provide partial coverage, creating a fascinating dynamic between SpaceX as both launch provider and market rival.

Read the full story: Spaceflight Now

Six Decades of History Cleared at SLC-6 to Make Way for SpaceX Rockets

The launch towers at Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Space Launch Complex 6 — structures that once stood ready to support Space Shuttle launches from California’s coast — have been leveled, closing a storied chapter in American spaceflight history. SLC-6, often nicknamed “Slick Six,” was originally built for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program in the 1960s before being expensively and controversially adapted for shuttle operations that never flew a single mission from the site.

The demolition clears ground for SpaceX infrastructure aligned with current and next-generation Falcon 9 and potentially Starship operations from the West Coast, prioritizing launch cadence over historical preservation. The transformation is emblematic of a broader shift at both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, where legacy Cold War and Space Race infrastructure is steadily giving way to the commercial launch cadence SpaceX demands — a pace that now sees the company targeting dozens of flights per year from California alone.

Read the full story: Ars Technica

Musk’s $116B Tesla Options Payday Reignites SpaceX Merger Speculation

Elon Musk has further increased his Tesla stake following a landmark $116 billion compensation package ruling, and the timing has Wall Street and Silicon Valley analysts once again openly debating the long-theorized prospect of a SpaceX-Tesla merger. The financial maneuver consolidates Musk’s control posture across his most valuable companies at a moment when both Tesla’s autonomous vehicle roadmap and Starlink’s connectivity infrastructure are seen as potentially complementary assets.

Any merger scenario would carry enormous implications for Starlink specifically — potentially bringing SpaceX’s satellite internet business under public market scrutiny for the first time and creating pressure on the company’s famously opaque operational disclosures. For now, SpaceX remains private and fiercely independent, but the conversation underscores how Musk’s personal financial moves are increasingly inseparable from the strategic trajectory of the world’s most active launch provider.

Read the full story: Teslarati

Constellation Status

The Starlink constellation has remained stable since the last check, with no new launches or orbital changes recorded. The constellation currently consists of 12,318 total satellites launched, of which 10,666 remain in orbit and 10,650 are actively working, while 1,652 have decayed from their operational orbits.

• Total Launched: 12318
• Total On Orbit: 10666
• Total Working: 10650

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink