Elon Musk’s SpaceX is persistently launching satellites into Earth’s orbit, having recently achieved a notable milestone. On Sunday, two Falcon 9 rockets ascended from Florida and California, each transporting 28 Starlink satellites, thereby adding a cumulative total of 56 more satellites to the heavens. This escalates the overall number of Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX to more than 10,000, as stated by the company.

Starlink, a branch of SpaceX, provides high-speed internet through a network of low-earth orbit satellites. The company initiated its first test satellites in 2018, followed by the launch of its first 60 operational satellites the subsequent year. Since that time, SpaceX has consistently expanded its Starlink fleet, despite ongoing worries regarding its potential impact on the escalating issue of space debris.

Starlink has received approval from the FCC to deploy a total of 12,000 satellites, with intentions to introduce up to 30,000 more satellites. Nevertheless, not every satellite remains functional. With an average lifespan of five years, some have been retired, signifying that they are purposely de-orbited to disintegrate in the Earth’s atmosphere. Roughly 8,600 Starlink satellites are presently reported to be in orbit.