Starlink Group 10-49
About this mission
Starlink Group 10-49 lifted off on August 25, 2026 — 47 days ago on a Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA, adding 29 Starlink satellites to SpaceX's broadband constellation.
The mission name follows SpaceX's own convention: the group number identifies which slice of the constellation the batch was destined for, and the second number counts the flights to that group. Each group corresponds to a defined orbital shell with its own altitude and inclination, which is why missions to the same group fly the same trajectory from the same coast.
Why it flew from the east coast
Launching from Florida's Space Coast, the rocket flew out over the Atlantic — the trajectory SpaceX uses for Starlink's mid-inclination shells, which blanket the world's most heavily populated latitudes.
Eastward launches also collect a bonus. The Earth's surface is already moving east at roughly 1,600 km/h at these latitudes, and a rocket heading that way starts with that speed for free. It is a meaningful saving on the velocity needed to reach orbit, which is why most orbital launches worldwide head east where geography allows.
What happened after liftoff
The satellites rode up stacked flat inside the Falcon 9 Block 5 fairing and were released about 15 minutes after liftoff into a low parking orbit, a few hundred kilometres up — well below the roughly 550 km operational band. They separate gently, which is why a fresh batch stays bunched in a line for the first few days.
Each satellite then climbs to its assigned shell under its own power, using a low-thrust ion engine that moves it a few kilometres per day. The ascent takes weeks. Starting low is a deliberate safeguard: at that altitude atmospheric drag removes anything that fails checkout within months, so only satellites that prove they work reach an operational orbit.
Where this batch is now
The satellites from Starlink Group 10-49 have long since dispersed along their orbital plane, so they no longer travel as a train. Each has climbed to its assigned shell and settled into normal service, appearing from the ground as ordinary individual Starlink passes.
They are still perfectly trackable. Every satellite from this launch has its own page on this site with live position, altitude and orbit, and the brightest passes over your own location are listed on the city pass pages.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I still see the Starlink train from Starlink Group 10-49?
- Not as a train. After about three weeks the satellites disperse along their orbital plane and stop travelling in a line. They are still visible as individual Starlink passes; your city's pass page lists tonight's times.
- How many satellites did Starlink Group 10-49 carry?
- 29 Starlink satellites, stacked flat inside the Falcon 9 Block 5 fairing and released together about 15 minutes after liftoff into a low parking orbit. Batch size varies with the satellite generation and the target shell — heavier satellites mean fewer per flight.
- Where did Starlink Group 10-49 launch from?
- Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Florida launches fly out over the Atlantic, the trajectory used for Starlink's mid-inclination shells, which cover the world's most heavily populated latitudes.
- How long until these satellites are in service?
- Weeks, not days. After release into a low parking orbit each satellite runs health checks, deploys its solar array, and climbs to its assigned shell around 550 km using a low-thrust ion engine that moves it a few kilometres per day. Only once it reaches its operational slot does it start carrying customer traffic.
Other Starlink missions
Want to spot these satellites? See tonight's visible Starlink passes over your city.