May 2, 2024
Internet Satellite Constellations Compared
What's Shown
The major operational and planned Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Internet Satellite projects worldwide.
Why now?
With the lowering cost of space launches, large networks of LEO Satellites are finally becoming cost-effective. These constellations provide low-latency internet to every square mile of Earth and do so by having strength in numbers. Thousands and thousands of satellites are needed to make sure there are no gaps in the sky, and they must always stay within range of working ground stations.
Key Takeaways
- Having your own launch company is a huge benefit and it's one of the primary reasons SpaceX’s Starlink project has been so successful at launching a large number of satellites.
- There seems to be no ceiling for how many satellites are planned, with current estimates of over 42,000 for Starlink.
- The only real competitor to Starlink is only in theory, as Amazon has yet to materialize a working network of satellites, but has big plans to deploy more than 3000.