First 60 Starlink satellites launched
2019-05SpaceX
SpaceX launched the first operational batch of 60 Starlink satellites, beginning the first true low-earth-orbit broadband mega-constellation.
All fields
Satellite Internet & Direct-to-Cell
Who connects the whole planet from orbit?
Live Updated 2025
Distance to goal
The single most intuitive view — current position against the end goal, on a log scale.
Active satellites, largest constellation
Metric detailnow
8,000
SpaceX (Starlink)
goal
12,000
~0.2 orders of magnitude to go
Headline indicators
Who leads
Standings by actor, within this field only.
Milestone timeline
Clear-cut events: crossed or not crossed.
4 achieved 1 in progress 1 locked
First direct-to-cell text from orbit
2024-01SpaceX / T-Mobile
Starlink's first direct-to-cell satellites sent text messages to ordinary, unmodified phones — the opening of the phone-to-satellite era.
First dedicated D2C satellites (BlueBird)
2024-09AST SpaceMobile
AST SpaceMobile orbited its first commercial BlueBird satellites — the largest commercial arrays ever flown, purpose-built for broadband direct to phones.
Several million broadband subscribers
2025SpaceX (Starlink)
Starlink passed several million active subscribers across ~8,000 satellites — a self-funding constellation at unmatched scale.
Direct-to-cell voice & data rollout
~ 2026SpaceX / AST SpaceMobile
Operators are rolling out direct-to-cell voice and data beyond text, via carrier partners — early service, not yet continuous or global.
Continuous global direct-to-cell
~ 2028—
The finish line: any ordinary phone connected anywhere on Earth, continuously, straight to orbit. Targeted toward the late 2020s, not yet here.
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