But it’s not just bad actors that are making use of Starlink in unauthorised locations.

In Sudan, Emadeddin Badi points out the technology has also enabled civilians and journalists to “get the message out about what is going on in the country” during media blackouts.

And in Iran, opposition activists have been making use of the service to get around censorship rules.

Starlink has also proven vital to people living in disaster zones.

After Hurricane Melissa significantly damaged telecoms infrastructure, Jamaica faced widespread communications outages in late-October. 

That was until Starlink announced it would service the country for free and donated over 600 terminals. 

The satellites were central to connecting first responders and aiding recovery efforts, says Dr Alison Thompson, an aid worker who set up Starlink terminals in villages, police stations and schools with her team at Third Wave Volunteers. 

“Starlink is the communication that brings in the food and the medicine and everything else. 

“It’s like the archangel of the disaster.”

Residents walk through Lacovia Tombstone, Jamaica, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa on 29 October 2025. Pic: AP/Matias Delacroix

Residents walk through Lacovia Tombstone, Jamaica, in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa on 29 October 2025. Pic: AP/Matias Delacroix

SpaceX has revolutionised rocket launches

Achieving global coverage for Starlink’s network, with thousands of satellites in space, required an unprecedented number of rocket launches to get them into orbit. 

Before SpaceX, the cheapest way to do this would have been on-board an Atlas V rocket, designed by the then-dominant United Launch Alliance, at a cost of $8,100 per kilogram. 

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying Amazon’s Leo satellites is prepared for launch from Florida, US, 28 April 2025. Pic: Reuters/Steve Nesius

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying Amazon’s Leo satellites is prepared for launch from Florida, US, 28 April 2025. Pic: Reuters/Steve Nesius

SpaceX’s Falcon 9, by contrast, can put satellites into orbit at just a third of the cost. 

The Falcon Heavy, effectively three Falcon 9 rockets strapped together, is even cheaper. 

Its cost-effectiveness means that the Falcon 9 is now regularly used to launch satellites for the US military, NASA, and even Starlink’s main direct competitors – Amazon Leo and Eutelsat. 

SpaceX now accounts for the majority of rocket launches worldwide, more than all other private companies and nation states combined. 

The key to the Falcon 9’s low cost is the fact that its first stage can be landed and reused, rather than going to waste. 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on 24 September 2025. Pic: Reuters/Joe Skipper

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, US, on 24 September 2025. Pic: Reuters/Joe Skipper

“Having a reusable launch vehicle has been a game changer in terms of increasing access to space,” says Victoria Samson. 

SpaceX remains the only company able to reach orbit with a reusable booster, though other companies, such as Amazon’s Blue Origin, are catching up. 

Nation states have had less success in competing in the race to develop similar technology. 

“China has been working very strenuously on this but they’ve not been able to accomplish it yet,” says Samson. 

The Falcon 9 isn’t just used for satellite launches, but also for more complex missions like taking astronauts to and from the International Space Station. 

But it is SpaceX’s latest rocket that shows the true reach of Musk’s ambitions. 

The Starship is designed to ferry humans and cargo to Mars, with the goal of creating a permanent human settlement. 

Its first uncrewed flight to Mars is due to take place by the end of next year. 

NASA’s Perseverance rover took an image of itself on Mars on 10 May 2025. Pic: Reuters/NASA

NASA’s Perseverance rover took an image of itself on Mars on 10 May 2025. Pic: Reuters/NASA

Colonising Mars is a goal Musk has harboured since at least 2001, the year before he founded SpaceX. 

“It’s not about going to Mars to visit once, but it is to make life multi-planetary,” he told Fox News in May. 

“I think Elon Musk is serious about wanting to go to Mars,” says Victoria Samson. “In fact, I think that’s why he established SpaceX to begin with.”

As those ambitions come closer to fruition, the ability of regulators to keep pace with SpaceX’s technological advancements will only become more important.

But for now, the pace of Musk’s advancements has left him free to set his own rules.