How many satellites orbit Earth?
More than 10,000 active artificial satellites orbit Earth, and the number is growing fast. Most belong to large internet constellations, especially SpaceX's Starlink.
For decades, only a few thousand satellites were in orbit. Since 2019, the number has grown rapidly as companies launched thousands of small satellites to provide internet access worldwide. SpaceX's Starlink network alone accounts for well over half of all active satellites. Other networks, such as Amazon's Project Kuiper and OneWeb, are adding more.
Satellites are tracked by organizations such as the US Space Force and independent researchers. Counts differ slightly because satellites are constantly launched, retired and burned up in the atmosphere. Many groups publish regularly updated totals.
Space junk
Besides working satellites, tens of thousands of trackable pieces of debris, including dead satellites, rocket stages and fragments, orbit Earth. Millions of smaller pieces cannot be tracked. Collisions are a growing concern, and space agencies are developing ways to remove debris and prevent new junk.
Did You Know?
Astronomers worry that bright satellite trails can interfere with telescope images, and companies have tried darkening their satellites to reduce the problem.