Elon Musk Says 'We're Gonna Need A Bigger Rocket' As SpaceX Asks FCC to Approve 100,000 Gen3 Starlink Satellites

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Elon Musk-led SpaceX has asked U.S. regulators for permission to launch and operate up to 100,000 satellites for a new third-generation Starlink system, a massive proposed expansion aimed at supporting faster broadband and growing artificial intelligence data needs.

SpaceX Seeks Approval For Massive Gen3 Network

The application to the Federal Communications Commission, which was filed on Monday, July 6, covers a "Gen3" version of Starlink that would operate in very low Earth orbit, below many current broadband satellites. The proposed satellites would fly in two stacked altitude bands, roughly 323 to 327.5 kilometers and 473 to 477.5 kilometers above Earth.

SpaceX says the system would deliver extremely low-latency and multi-gigabit internet service for consumers, businesses, governments and billions of AI-powered devices. The company has argued that AI systems will require far more data capacity, especially for uploading information, making new spectrum and satellite-sharing frameworks necessary.

The request is separate from SpaceX's earlier application to deploy up to 1 million satellites for orbital data centers, a proposal now under FCC review. That system would use satellites between 500 kilometers and 2,000 kilometers above Earth to provide computing power for advanced AI models.

Musk Says Starship Will Be Essential

Musk reacted to the filing on X on Tuesday, quoting a post by prominent Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt and stating, "We're gonna need a bigger rocket! (Starship)."

We're gonna need a bigger rocket!

(Starship) https://t.co/MLzBpDMxht

-- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2026

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Starlink's first- and second-generation satellites have relied heavily on Falcon 9. Gen3 satellites are expected to be larger and more capable, making Starship central to deployment. Musk has said Starlink V3 satellites will have ">10X bandwidth" of V2 satellites and fly at about 350 kilometers, which he said would cut minimum latency by about half.

SpaceX says Starship is designed to be fully reusable and carry more than 100 metric tons to orbit. The latest version stands about 408 feet, or 124 meters, taller than NASA's 111-meter Saturn V, though Starship remains in development.