#Satellite July 22

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July 2026 several of us are going to take on the 30-Day America at 250 Coach4aday Challenge. Each day we share something about America’s unique and quirky history. It can be about a place, an event, or person. Today it about America’s first SATELLITE that was launched into space.

In the late 1950s, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a race to launch the world’s first satellite into space. The Soviet Union won that race when Sputnik 1 successfully lifted off on October 4, 1957. America’s first attempt came on December 6, 1957, when Vanguard TV-3 failed after losing thrust and exploding on the launch pad. Less than two months later, on January 31, 1958, the United States successfully launched Explorer 1, America’s first satellite, marking the nation’s entry into the Space Age.

Day 22-Satellites in Space

As of 2025–2026, there are about 12,000–13,000 active satellites orbiting Earth. The number changes every month as new satellites are launched and older ones are deorbited. Even though Russia launched the first one the US dominates the number in orbit today.

Here’s an approximate breakdown by the country that operates or owns them:

Country/Region	Active Satellites	Approx. Share
🇺🇸 United States	~8,900	~70%
🇨🇳 China	~1,100	~9%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom*	~800	~6%
🇯🇵 Japan	~300	~2%
🇷🇺 Russia	~280	~2%
🇮🇳 India	~140	~1%
🇨🇦 Canada	~90	<1%
🇩🇪 Germany	~90	<1%
🇫🇷 France	~80	<1%
🇫🇮 Finland	~70	<1%
Other countries combined	~1,200	~9%

*The United Kingdom’s total is high largely because many satellites from companies such as OneWeb are registered there, even though they may have been built or launched elsewhere.

Why does the U.S. have so many?

The United States dominates because of:

• SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, with more than 7,000 active satellites.
• Numerous government satellites operated by NASA, the U.S. Department of Defense, and NOAA.
• Hundreds of commercial satellites for communications, Earth observation, and research.

Countries with satellites

Today, more than 90 countries have at least one satellite in orbit, either built domestically or operated through partnerships with commercial or international organizations.

The total number of objects in orbit is much larger—over 40,000 tracked objects—because it includes inactive satellites, spent rocket stages, and debris, not just operational satellites.