en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 7, US aerospace and satellite internet company SpaceX submitted an application to the US Federal Communications Commission, requesting approval to launch and operate a third-generation satellite constellation consisting of 100,000 satellites. SpaceX describes this constellation as a "powerful, resilient, and ubiquitous communication infrastructure," aiming to provide low-latency, multi-gigabit symmetric uplink and downlink communication capabilities for global government users, enterprises, consumers, and billions of AI-driven devices.
If approved, this application would further propel Starlink from its existing low-orbit broadband network into a massive global communication platform. The scale of 100,000 satellites far exceeds traditional communication satellite systems and is significantly higher than the currently deployed and approved Starlink constellation. SpaceX hopes to enhance global coverage density, network capacity, and link redundancy through the third-generation constellation, enabling satellite internet not only to serve broadband access in remote areas but also to meet higher-frequency, larger-scale, and lower-latency data transmission demands.
The core changes in the third-generation constellation lie in capacity and application targets. SpaceX proposes that this system will have the capability to carry most of the global internet traffic and provide connectivity services for AI-driven devices. With the growth in the number of vehicle-mounted terminals, drones, robots, industrial equipment, ships, aircraft, remote sensors, and edge AI devices, network connections are no longer limited to interactions between humans and phones or computers; more machines and devices also require continuous online access. If low-orbit satellite networks possess sufficient capacity and latency advantages, they could become a crucial supplementary channel alongside terrestrial networks.
Multi-gigabit symmetric uplink and downlink throughput is the most noteworthy technical statement in this application. A common issue with traditional satellite internet is strong downlink capability but weak uplink capability, suitable for web browsing, video streaming, and basic communication, but not necessarily ideal for cloud collaboration, real-time backhaul, remote control, and large-scale device data uploads. By positioning the third-generation constellation with symmetric uplink and downlink capabilities, SpaceX indicates that its target scenarios have expanded from ordinary user broadband to enterprise dedicated lines, government communications, AI device data backhaul, remote industrial control, and global mobile network coverage gaps.
Ultra-large low-orbit constellations will also change the construction logic of communication infrastructure. Terrestrial networks rely on fiber optics, base stations, data centers, and local access facilities, with high deployment costs in cross-sea, mountainous, desert, oceanic, and disaster scenarios. Satellite constellations can bypass terrestrial construction limitations, forming global coverage through space networks. However, achieving high capacity, low latency, and stable services requires a large number of satellites, spectrum resources, ground stations, user terminals, inter-satellite laser links, and automated operation and maintenance systems working together. The application for 100,000 satellites itself also indicates that SpaceX is pushing Starlink from a communication service product toward a larger-scale space network infrastructure.
The plan still requires regulatory review. The US Federal Communications Commission needs to assess issues such as spectrum usage, orbital resources, space safety, satellite decommissioning, collision risks, astronomical observation impacts, and international coordination. As the number of low-orbit satellites rapidly increases, orbital congestion, in-orbit collision avoidance, decommissioning disposal, and radio interference will attract more attention. SpaceX has previously obtained authorization for the second-generation Starlink constellation, but with the third-generation constellation reaching 100,000 satellites, regulatory complexity and external scrutiny will be higher.
SpaceX's push for the third-generation constellation application is also related to the Starship heavy-lift launch system. Deploying 100,000 satellites cannot be sustained solely by traditional rocket launch cadences; it requires lower-cost, higher-frequency, and larger-payload launch capabilities. If Starship enters a stable commercial launch phase, it will provide deployment conditions for next-generation Starlink satellites with larger sizes, higher power, and stronger communication capabilities, while also reducing unit bandwidth and satellite launch costs.
Once the third-generation constellation application is realized, SpaceX's satellite internet strategy will enter a new phase of capacity competition. The existing Starlink already covers scenarios such as consumer broadband, aviation, maritime, emergency communications, mobile communication supplementation, and enterprise connectivity. If the 100,000 third-generation satellites are approved and gradually deployed, Starlink will further expand toward AI devices, global traffic carriage, and highly reliable communication infrastructure. Going forward, regulatory approvals, launch capabilities, spectrum coordination, terminal costs, and space safety management will collectively determine whether this ultra-large satellite constellation can enter the actual construction phase.
