Starlink has introduced the V5 kit, a new satellite internet system intended for residential customers. This new equipment features a reduced-dimension antenna (384 x 306 x mm) and a lighter weight (1.1 kg), in addition to consuming less energy (between 35 and 50 W).
Although the new antenna has dimensions similar to the Starlink Mini antenna, it has an important limitation: it is not suitable for use in vehicles or while moving. In terms of performance, the download speed of Starlink V5 is approximately 375 Mb/s, which represents a slight reduction compared to the previous kit, which reached 400 Mb/s.
Despite the slight decrease of 25 Mb/s in download speed, this difference is expected to be practically unnoticeable for most users. The benefits of simpler installation and lower energy consumption should compensate for this small performance disadvantage.
Through the X platform, Starlink announced that the new antenna is already available in specific regions, although it did not detail which areas these are. It is known that these locations include parts of the United States.
Due to the limited launch, exact prices have not yet been disclosed. However, PCMag reported a report found on Reddit from a user who located the Starlink V5 kit in Montana. In this specific case, the kit was only available for the 100 Mb/s residential plan, with a monthly cost of US$ 55, plus US$ 10 monthly for antenna rental.
It is relevant to mention that Starlink began charging for antenna rental in June 2026 in certain markets, setting the price at US$ 10 in the United States. There is no information available regarding the commercialization of the Starlink V5 kit in Brazil. However, Starlink itself mentioned, also via X, that the V5 will be made available in more locations as production increases, a forecast that applies to the United States but does not exclude the possibility of the kit reaching other countries in future phases.
The Starlink constellation recorded a record volume of maneuvers aimed at avoiding collisions, exceeding 355 thousand in just one year. This data indicates the growing level of competition in Earth's orbit.
Data provided by SpaceX to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has alerted specialists to the progressive increase in the danger of space accidents, according to Space.com. There has been a notable growth in preventive maneuvers: between December 2025 and May 2026, 207,152 maneuvers were performed, compared to 148,696 in the previous semester. In total, over 355 thousand deviations have been surpassed, a figure more than three times that registered in 2024. On average, each satellite performed more than 40 maneuvers during this period.
This movement reflects the rapid expansion of the Starlink constellation, which increased from approximately 6 thousand to over 10 thousand satellites in two years. Simultaneously, the total number of active spacecraft in orbit grew from about 10 thousand to 16 thousand.
The satellites operate at altitudes ranging between 480 and 550 kilometers and automatically change their route when the probability of collision exceeds three in ten million. The figures released by SpaceX detail this scenario: over 355 thousand annual maneuvers, an average of over 40 deviations per satellite, the constellation expanding from 6 thousand to over 10 thousand units, and the increase from 10 thousand to 16 thousand operational spacecraft.
Despite the system being automated, the increase in space traffic makes the operation increasingly complex. Hugh Lewis, Professor of Astronautics at the University of Birmingham, predicts that the challenge will continue to grow, stating that a situation is approaching where a collision involving an operational satellite will occur, and this will not be due to failures in prevention attempts, but despite them. The researcher clarifies that each deviation reduces the risk of collision to about one in a million; however, when hundreds of thousands of maneuvers are part of the routine, this probability becomes significant in the overall operations.
Tommaso Sgobba, director of the International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety, considers this scenario predictable, as the greater the number of satellites in the same orbital region, the greater the potential crossings. He adds that fluctuations caused by space weather complicate the precise prediction of trajectories, forcing operators to perform preventive deviations that might not be strictly necessary. For this reason, experts advocate that new mega-constellation projects must present regulatory bodies with estimates of the number of maneuvers before receiving launch authorization, given that this planning will become crucial alongside the technology itself.
SpaceX launched 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Tuesday, the 14th, at 6:10 AM Brasília time. The Falcon 9 rocket departed from Launch Complex 40, located at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States.
This event marked the 28th mission for the first stage of the rocket used in the launch. This booster had already been used in several missions, including Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, SES Astra 1P, and NG-21, as well as 22 other flights destined for the Starlink constellation.
After stage separation, the first stage returned to the surface and successfully landed on the autonomous maritime platform named A Shortfall of Gravitas, located in the Atlantic Ocean.
Currently, SpaceX maintains over 10,000 operational Starlink satellites in orbit and has permission to deploy approximately another 4,000. Since the beginning of the project, more than 12,000 satellites have been sent into space, although some have ceased operation.
The fleet growth continues at an accelerated pace. In the first half of 2026 alone, the company managed to place 1,589 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, a number higher than the 1,489 launched in the same period of 2025. In the previous year, the company reached its annual record by launching 3,180 satellites.
The Starship vehicle has already received authorization for new flights. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX permission to conduct another test following the investigation into the failure that occurred in the Super Heavy booster during the flight in May.
According to SpaceX, this next mission will be the second launch of the V3 version of the rocket and will also feature the first Starlink V3 satellites, which will play a crucial role in expanding the company's space internet network. This launch is scheduled for next Thursday, the 16th, between 7:45 PM and 9:15 PM Brasília time.
