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SpaceX and Amazon Boost Constellation Competition
A Starship vehicle on the launchpad at Starbase, Texas. Credit: SpaceX The internet constellation race accelerated Friday with launches from SpaceX and United Launch Alliance planned less than 24 hours apart.
Flight 15 of SpaceX’s newest super-heavy lift launch vehicle, Starship, took off from Texas on Friday, Nov. 13. SpaceX diverted from a planned landing of its main booster, which splashed down off the Texas coast. The Starship upper stage reached orbit for the second time and deployed satellites.
Starship greatly increases SpaceX’s ability to loft payloads into orbit.
Falcon 9, SpaceX’s most-used launch vehicle, can carry roughly 22 tons into low Earth orbit. By comparison, Starship can carry more than 100 tons, or more than 200 tons if launched as an expendable.
This increase is crucial for the company planning to launch tens of thousands more satellites for its Starlink constellation and potentially even 1 million AI datacenter satellites. The increased capability also makes Starship a crucial element of exploring deeper into the solar system. Starship’s size allows for larger cargo and infrastructure that may one day enable missions to Mars.
A Race for Capacity
The 15th Starship launch delivered 26 Starlink V3 satellites to orbit, which will increase the constellation’s data capacity. Each Starlink V3 satellite will add 1 terabit of capacity to the constellation, with all 26 satellites equaling delivering the same capacity of 10 Falcon 9 launches carrying Starlink V2 Mini, according to SpaceX.
Amazon Leo, a planned competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, scheduled a ride with United Launch Alliance the same day. However, the mission to deliver Leo satellites into orbit was delayed until Saturday, Nov. 14. ULA’s Vulcan will deliver 40 satellites. This is planned to be the first of 38 Vulcan launches for Amazon Leo.
“Larger rockets and more frequent launches are critical to scaling our constellation and getting service to customers, and the Vulcan program is designed to deliver on both dimensions,” stated Melissa Wuerl, director of launch systems for Amazon Leo, in a press release.
Amazon Leo has 400 satellites in orbit compared to Starlink’s 11,000. The Leo constellation is designed to eventually consist of more than 3,200 satellites. Consumer service for Amazon Leo is expected to begin before the end of 2026.
Waxing Lunar Business
The same week as these high-profile launches, NASA awarded a series of contracts to advance its Moon Base program. The contracts involve launch services, commercial infrastructure deliveries and a lunar rover.
For the next phase of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, NASA awarded contracts to eight companies to deliver science and technology payloads to the Moon. The contracted companies are Blue Origin, Firefly, Intuitive Machines, ispace, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, and Voyager Technologies.
NASA increased the funding value of the CLPS program from $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion to support initial Moon Base objectives.
“We are building the Moon Base mission by mission,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “When our astronauts return to the Moon, they will arrive with the first elements of the Moon Base already waiting for them on the surface.”
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