SpaceX has launched the 10,000th Starlink into orbit after successfully delivering another batch of 56 satellites on Sunday.

The milestone means that SpaceX boss Elon Musk now controls two thirds of all active satellites, according to data from non-profit satellite tracker Celestrak.

As of 20 October, 8,562 of the 12,955 active satellites in low-Earth orbit – just over 66 per cent – are part of SpaceX ’s Starlink constellation. A further 1,500 Starlink satellites are either inactive or are no longer in orbit.

SpaceX’s dominance has prompted concerns about the amount of power the world’s richest person wields through his control of the Starlink network. In 2023, Mr Musk claimed that he had “more real-time global economic data in one head than anyone ever” through his control of Tes

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