Elon Musk announced on Thursday that SpaceX’s Starlink can now provide reliable 10-gigabit-per-second upload and download connectivity anywhere in the world, marking a major step in the satellite internet network’s push from consumer broadband to high-capacity global data service. The announcement follows Starlink’s rapid growth, with the service surpassing 12 million active users across more than 160 countries, up from 9 million users reported in 2025. This capability is critical for supporting growing artificial intelligence data needs and bypassing Earth's regulatory and power constraints.

Gen3 Network Specifications

The multi-gigabit rollout aligns with SpaceX’s recent application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a third-generation Starlink constellation. The plan seeks approval for up to 100,000 satellites in very low Earth orbit to deliver ultra-low latency, multi-gigabit symmetrical throughput to companies, governments, and AI-powered devices. The proposed Gen3 satellites would fly in two stacked altitude bands, roughly 323 to 327.5 kilometers and 473 to 477.5 kilometers above Earth. This request is separate from SpaceX’s earlier application to deploy up to 1 million satellites for orbital data centers, which would use satellites between 500 kilometers and 2,000 kilometers above Earth.

Starlink Satellite Comparison

Starship Deployment Strategy

SpaceX’s manufacturing roadmap includes an 11-million-square-foot Gigasat facility in Bastrop, Texas, targeting AI satellite production by late 2027. Gen3 satellites are expected to be larger and more capable than previous generations, making the Starship central to deployment. Musk has indicated Starlink V3 satellites will have ">10X bandwidth" of V2 satellites and fly at about 350 kilometers, which he said would cut minimum latency by about half. SpaceX says Starship is designed to be fully reusable and carry more than 100 metric tons to orbit.

Regulatory and Market Context

The filing arrives as the FCC prepares to vote on July 22 on a Space Modernization Order that would streamline satellite licensing and extend many space station licenses to 20 years. Competition is intensifying in the sector. Rocket Lab Corp. agreed to acquire Iridium Communications Inc. in an $8 billion deal that would combine Rocket Lab’s launch and spacecraft operations with Iridium’s global satellite network. Amazon.com Inc. is also moving closer to service, expecting to begin initial internet service with its Leo broadband satellite network later this year after its latest launch pushed the constellation above 390 satellites.

Japanese lunar transport company ispace Inc. announced Wednesday it will launch a lower-cost lunar cargo business using SpaceX Starship. The Tokyo-based firm purchased 500 kilograms, or 1,102 pounds, of capacity for $50 million on a Starship mission scheduled to land on the moon as soon as 2030. This strategic move aims to widen ispace's bet on shared transport to the moon following two failed landing attempts.

The new "lunar access integrator" service will function like a moon-bound bus, contrasting with ispace’s existing dedicated lunar lander business, which Executive Vice President Hideari Kamiya described as a "taxi" to the lunar surface. To support this model, ispace will build a lunar surface vehicle capable of hosting payloads from customers worldwide on the shared Starship ride.

Strategic Shift and Previous Setbacks

ispace previously utilized SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets for lunar landing attempts in 2023 and 2025, both of which failed. Despite these setbacks, the company continues to aim to soft-land three Ultra landers on the moon by 2030. This includes one mission under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which Reuters reported in March had been delayed to 2030 alongside job cuts.

Chief Executive Takeshi Hakamada stated that the Starship tie-up would "exponentially" accelerate ispace’s growth in the lunar infrastructure market. He noted that SpaceX approached the company with the integrator concept, suggesting that few firms possess the capability to both integrate cargo and provide post-landing services.

Industry Partnerships and Risks

SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Stephanie Bednarek welcomed the expanded relationship, highlighting ispace’s integration services as a valuable pathway for smaller payloads to reach the Moon. The partnership is not exclusive; NASA plans to use Starship for the first Artemis lunar landing in 2028, and U.S. lunar rover startup Astrolab has also secured space on a future Starship flight.

However, technical risks remain as Starship is still under development. U.S. regulators recently grounded the vehicle following a test-flight mishap. The following table outlines the key details of the agreement: