Latest Developments

NASA has awarded a contract to a California-based private company — notably not SpaceX — to design, build, and launch the Aeolus Mars orbiter, targeting a 2028 departure window. The mission will be the first spacecraft to deliver daily measurements of Mars’s global environment, representing a significant step in commercializing deep-space science infrastructure. With Starlink’s constellation sitting at 10,650 operational satellites out of 10,666 in orbit across 12,318 total launched, the contrast between low-Earth broadband operations and interplanetary science missions highlights the broadening scope of commercial space activity. This contract signals NASA’s continued push to leverage the private sector beyond the well-trodden SpaceX partnership model.

Space Safety

Current Starlink conjunction and reentry activity shows a significant elevated risk posture with one HIGH-risk conjunction event identified in the near-term prediction window. STARLINK-30922 faces a critical close approach with TIANMU-1 15 on June 24, 2026, with a minimum range of only 7 meters and a maximum collision probability of 1.0, representing the most acute threat in the current dataset. Additionally, six Starlink satellites are predicted to reenter Earth’s atmosphere between June 20-23, 2026, with decay windows ranging from 1 to 1,320 minutes, indicating moderate predictive uncertainty for some events. The conjunction threat demands immediate conjunction assessment and potential maneuver consideration, while the reentry events remain nominal with no high-interest designations.

Detailed Coverage

NASA Picks California Firm Over SpaceX for Landmark Mars Orbiter Mission

NASA has selected a California-based company to serve as prime contractor for the Aeolus Mars orbiter, a mission designed to deliver something no spacecraft has managed before: daily, global measurements of the Martian atmosphere and surface environment. The award marks a deliberate diversification of NASA’s commercial partnerships, demonstrating that the agency is cultivating a broader industrial base for ambitious planetary science rather than defaulting to its highest-profile commercial partners.

Targeting a 2028 launch, Aeolus will enter Mars orbit and conduct a continuous monitoring campaign that scientists expect to transform our understanding of Martian weather patterns, dust storm dynamics, and climate variability. For satellite trackers and orbital analysts, the mission introduces a new asset to monitor in heliocentric and eventual Martian capture trajectories — a reminder that commercial space infrastructure now extends well beyond the crowded low-Earth orbital shells currently dominated by Starlink’s 10,650-strong working constellation.

Read the full story: Space.com

Constellation Status

There have been no changes to the Starlink constellation since the last check. The constellation remains stable with 12,318 total satellites launched, 10,666 currently in orbit, 10,650 operational satellites providing service, and 1,652 that have decayed from orbit.

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

Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink