Starlink vs Iridium NEXT
Starlink (SpaceX) and Iridium NEXT (Iridium Communications) compared on operator, size, orbit, and live satellite count from our catalog.
Headline
Starlink is the larger of the two with 10,557 active satellites in our catalog right now, vs Iridium NEXT's 190.
| Spec | Starlink | Iridium NEXT |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX | Iridium Communications |
| Country | US | US |
| First launch | 2019 | 2017 |
| Planned size | 42,000 | 75 |
| Active in catalog now | 10,557 | 190 |
| Primary orbit class | LEO (9376), SSO (1181) | LEO (190) |
Starlink
SpaceX broadband mega-constellation in LEO. Currently the largest constellation ever flown.
Full Starlink page →Iridium NEXT
Second-generation Iridium constellation; 66 active sats provide global comms.
Full Iridium NEXT page →Catalog methodology
Counts come from our live satellite catalog, refreshed every 3 hours from CelesTrak. We match by name prefix — for example, “STARLINK” for Starlink and “GSAT” for Galileo. Decayed satellites are excluded. Planned size is the operator's announced fleet target, which is often well above currently launched.