Elon Musk wants to expand the Starlink project
The American billionaire continues with his mission to provide high-speed Internet services from space, reaching the farthest reaches of the Earth. Elon MuskFounder of “SpaceX”, expansion of the “Starlink” project he started in 2018.
So far, Musk has successfully launched thousands of satellites through his SpaceX company.
The Starlink project provides internet services through the largest network of satellites.
The program is aimed at people living in remote areas around the world who do not have access to high-speed internet.
SpaceX launched its first round of 60 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit in May 2019 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Today, the company has more than 4,000 satellites in orbit, and Musk has said he wants to eventually send 42,000 satellites into space. Business Insider.
The Starlink satellites were placed in a low-level orbit around the Earth, making the communication speed between the satellites and the Earth as high as possible.
Regarding internet speeds, SpaceX says its service has download speeds between 25 and 220 Mbps, with most users reporting speeds above 100 Mbps. Speed for online activities like gaming and streaming.
How much does Starlink internet cost?
Compared to traditional Internet providers, Starlink isn’t cheap, costing about $599 to buy the dish and router needed for satellite connection and Internet reception, plus $110 per month in the US.
Prices vary depending on the user’s location. Starlink service is available in 48 US states and more than 55 countries around the world, particularly in North America, Europe and Australia, and plans to expand its coverage across Africa, South America and Asia.
And the company said last May that it has more than 1.5 million subscribers worldwide.
Starlink mainly targets users in remote areas, and the company started offering its services to cruise lines and airlines last year.
The company also launched a $135-a-month Internet plan last year aimed at RV owners.
In 2022, Musk announced that SpaceX will partner with T-Mobile to give the company’s users access to Starlink satellite service in remote areas of the world.
SpaceX vice president of commercial sales Jonathan Hoefler said earlier this year that the company plans to test mobile service.
Starlink satellite system logo. Source: Getty
Military use
When Russia launched an unprovoked attack on Ukraine last year, Starlink played a key role in helping Ukraine repel Russian cyberattacks.
Elon Musk launched Starlink services in Ukraine shortly after Russian forces invaded Ukraine and shut down terrestrial Internet and mobile phone networks.
About 20,000 dishes and routers were sent to Ukraine, he said.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, said Starlink was instrumental in re-establishing basic services after the Russian missile attack.
However, SpaceX decided earlier this year to restrict Ukraine’s use of Starling to operate drones. Last February, he said the service had “never been armed”.
The missile company unveiled a military version of Starlink late last year, dubbed “Starshield,” which targets government agencies and will use Starlink technologies to support national security efforts.
Light pollution and conflicts
As SpaceX continues to increase the number of satellites, astronomers continue to raise concerns about how Starlink affects light pollution in space and the potential for satellite collisions.
The company has attempted to address concerns about light pollution by upgrading its Starlink satellites to reduce brightness.
NASA said in 2022 that Musk’s plans to launch about 42,000 satellites could interfere with its missions, create space debris and increase the risk of collisions.
At the time, SpaceX quickly addressed NASA’s concerns, saying the reliability of its space network exceeded 99% and that it had implemented an “advanced collision avoidance system.”
“Professional coffee fan. Total beer nerd. Hardcore reader. Alcohol fanatic. Evil twitter buff. Friendly tv scholar.”
