U.S. regulators have given SpaceX a significant green light to deepen its dominance of the satellite internet market, approving the launch of another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites while stopping short of endorsing the company’s full vision for a vastly larger orbital network.
In a decision announced Friday, the Federal Communications Commission said the approval brings the total number of authorized Starlink satellites to 15,000 worldwide, reinforcing SpaceX’s position as the largest satellite operator by far. The ruling allows the newly approved Gen2 satellites to operate across five frequency bands and, critically, enables direct-to-cell connectivity beyond U.S. borders, alongside supplemental coverage inside the United States.
The move is strategically important for SpaceX. Starlink has evolved from an experimental broadband service into a core commercial and geopolitical asset, used by households, enterprises, militaries, and emergency responders. By expanding spectrum access and permitting direct-to-cell services, the FCC has effectively widened Starlink’s role from home internet replacement to a hybrid global communications platform capable of competing with traditional mobile networks in remote and underserved regions.
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Direct-to-cell capability is especially consequential. It supports SpaceX’s long-stated ambition to allow ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware, a development that could reshape connectivity in rural areas, disaster zones, and emerging markets. Outside the United States, where mobile coverage gaps remain widespread, this authorization opens the door for Starlink to work with foreign telecom operators and governments on national connectivity strategies.
However, the decision also denotes the limits of regulatory tolerance for SpaceX’s rapid expansion. Reuters reported that SpaceX had requested approval for roughly 15,000 additional Gen2 satellites on top of its existing constellation. The FCC deferred authorization for 14,988 of those proposed satellites, signaling that future growth will face closer examination.
That restraint reflects mounting concerns about orbital congestion, collision risk, spectrum interference, and the long-term sustainability of low-Earth orbit. With tens of thousands of satellites already proposed by multiple companies, regulators are increasingly wary of approving massive constellations without stronger assurances on debris mitigation and coexistence with other space users, including scientific missions.
Recently, airlines have been expressing concerns over space debris on their routes. The Aerospace Corporation states that some 200 – 400 pieces of space debris fall to Earth each year – and those are just the ones that are big enough to track. That problem is only going to get worse as more satellites go into space.
As companies such as SpaceX shoot satellites into orbit, the situation compounds. SpaceX leads the pack with more than 15,000 satellites and plans to grow its fleet to 34,000. As these spacecraft come to the end of their service life, they too will be deorbited and fall to Earth.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working on legislation around space debris, but it’s likely not going to be resolved soon due to complexities around the situation.
The FCC attached firm deployment milestones to its approval. SpaceX must launch 50% of the newly authorized satellites by December 1, 2028, and the remaining half by December 2031. Such deadlines are designed to prevent companies from stockpiling spectrum rights and to ensure that approvals translate into operational systems rather than speculative filings.
For SpaceX, the ruling delivers both momentum and a warning. Starlink’s pacy expansion generates growing revenue, cementing its role in U.S. and allied strategic communications. At the same time, the FCC’s partial approval makes clear that future attempts to scale the constellation further will be judged against rising regulatory, environmental, and competitive pressures.
In effect, Washington has endorsed Starlink’s next phase of growth while signaling that the era of largely unchecked mega-constellation expansion may be drawing to a close.