The Starlink network surpassed 7 million global subscribers in August, primarily beaming Internet connectivity to homes and businesses. SpaceX is now aggressively pushing<\/a> to broaden its service direct to smartphones.<\/p>\n The first two Starlink prototypes, named Tintin A and Tintin B, launched in 2018 as pathfinders. SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites with a radically different design in 2019, initially flying 60 satellites at a time. The number of spacecraft per launch has gone down as the satellites grew larger and more capable, with the Falcon 9\u2019s capacity now maxed out at 28 satellites per flight.<\/p>\n \n The first of two Falcon 9 launches Sunday, each carrying 28 Starlink satellites.<\/p>\n Credit:<\/p>\n SpaceX<\/p>\n SpaceX\u2019s launch director nodded at the moment the Falcon 9 took off from California Sunday: \u201cFrom Tintin to 10,000. Go Starlink, go Falcon, go SpaceX.\u201d<\/p>\n A little more than an hour later, SpaceX confirmed the successful deployment of the rocket\u2019s 28 satellites about 160 miles (260 kilometers) above the Earth. They were expected to unfurl their solar arrays and activate their plasma engines to begin climbing to their operational altitude of 332 miles (535 kilometers).<\/p>\n By the numbers<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/f9_slc40_star.jpg\")
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