In 2019, fewer than 2,000 active satellites circled Earth as SpaceX began scaling Starlink. Seven years later, 15,711 were orbiting the planet, with Starlink accounting for 65.97% of the working satellites
Since 2019, the number of active satellites around Earth has surged nearly eightfold, with SpaceX's Starlink making up about two-thirds of this total. This remarkable growth signifies a change in how we use orbital space. However, this satellite concentration raises important concerns regarding space traffic management and the implications of having a dominant player in low Earth orbit.