Short answer: Starlink V3 is SpaceX’s next-generation satellite, not a new dish, and Starship Flight 14 deployed the first 26 operational V3 satellites on September 28, 2026, according to SpaceX. Starlink says each V3 satellite is designed for about 10 times the downlink capacity of V2, SpaceX says the satellites will start serving customers after on-orbit checkouts and orbit raising, but it hasn’t said when your own service will change, and it hasn’t said you need new hardware.
Last checked October 13, 2026.
Satellite names vs dish names
Swipe or scroll sideways to see the full table. With a keyboard, focus the table area and use the arrow keys.
| Term | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| V2 (and V2 Mini) | The satellites launched on Falcon 9 since 2023 | Starlink |
| V3 | Next-generation satellites, launched on Starship | Starlink |
| Standard, Standard 4, 4 X, Mini, V5 | Dishes you own (user hardware) | Starlink spec sheets |
Hardware generations are covered in our older models guide and kit comparison.
What has happened so far
Swipe or scroll sideways to see the full table. With a keyboard, focus the table area and use the arrow keys.
| Stage | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deployed | September 28, 2026: Starship Flight 14 reached orbit and deployed 26 V3 satellites | SpaceX; Space.com |
| Meanwhile | October 12, 2026, 8:28 PM ET: Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink satellites, its first Starlink mission since September 19; more than 11,100 Starlink satellites are active, according to Space.com | Space.com |
| Planned | About 100,000 V3 satellites eventually, all on Starship, according to Elon Musk; no schedule given | Space.com |
| For customers | Starlink hasn’t said V3 capacity is in service for users | Starlink V3 page |
What Starlink says V3 can do
Swipe or scroll sideways to see the full table. With a keyboard, focus the table area and use the arrow keys.
| Design figure | V3 | Compared with V2 |
|---|---|---|
| Downlink capacity | 1 Tbps | About 10× |
| Uplink capacity | 160 Gbps | About 22× |
| Beams | 2,048 downlink and 2,048 uplink | V2: 192 downlink, 144 uplink |
| Space lasers | Six at 400 Gbps each | Not compared |
| Capacity per launch | About 20× per Starship launch | vs a Falcon 9 launch of V2 |
These are Starlink’s design targets, not measured speeds (Starlink V3 page). More capacity per satellite should let the network serve more people, but Starlink hasn’t published what that means for any one home’s speed.
Do you need a new dish?
Starlink hasn’t said so. Its V3 page talks about serving more customers, not about replacing user terminals, so Starlink gives no reason to change hardware because of V3.
Why your speed varies today
Obstructions, network congestion and outages matter more right now; see performance troubleshooting and is Starlink down?. For unrelated spectrum news, see our 800 MHz explainer. Satellites overhead don’t guarantee service: check your country on our availability map and your address on the Starlink map.
FAQ
How many V3 satellites are there?
SpaceX says Starship Flight 14 deployed 26 on September 28, 2026, the first added to the network; an earlier July test flight deployed 20 that weren’t added, SpaceQ reports.
Is V3 better than V2?
On paper, yes: Starlink lists about 10 times the downlink and 22 times the uplink capacity per satellite.
Is this the same as a V5 dish?
No. V3 is a satellite; V5 is a dish.