We already talked about Starlink, the project of Elon Musk to create a space internet network, composed by thousands of satellites which will be able to make internet accessible from every corner of the planet.
The project would like to give a broadband connection straight from the space, by reaching those areas where there isn’t a connection via land yet.
Elon Musk arrived now to an essential breakthrough, by testing Starlink which positivelly answered to the experiment and, with the surprise of all, it was possible to send the first tweet via space.
The satellites’ launch
To make possible the recent experiment were launched 60 satellites which made the first little piece of the space network. They were launched from Cape Canaveral, in Florida, they reached the right orbit, obviusly onboard of a Falcon 9.
The launch was even a test of “space recycle”. The Falcon, infact, used for the launch the rockets of the first stadios already used. Like we know, infact, the technology of SpaceX, finally, allowed to recycle the rockets and slowly all their components.
It’s a day to remember, so, the one of the last launch. The 60 satellites were added to the 60 already launched in May and they made possible the first experiment of Starlink.
The experiment of Starlink
No scenographic experiment this time, no Tesla launched in the space or magic amazing effects. The experiment was easy and quick, but to be astonished was the same Musk, that maybe didn’t really believe it worked.
The 22nd of October at the 7:03 a tweet on the Elon Musk’s page says: “Sending this tweet through space via Starlink satellite”.
With this tweet he confirmed that the works of Starlink were going in the right direction and that everything seems to work. But he was pleasantly surprise by the success of the experiment, as much as that few later, he answered to his own tweet: “Whoa, it worked!”.
The future of Starlink
Together with the success of the experiment, SpaceX sent a second demand to the Federal Communication Commission, to add to the fleet other 30.000 satellites. The 30.000 satellites will be added to the already approved 12.000. But this time it really seems too much and the demand will be hardly approved, due to all the problems that will follow it.
The last September one grazed a space accident, a missed collision with an ESA satellite, finished, by the way, in the best way. Furthermore, it will seem really useless spreading on the space that surrounds the space so much satellites. Starlink will, infact, work with much less satellites.
No matter if the demand will be approved or not, Starlink is going in the right direction and one hopes that soon will be made other launches to complete the fleet.
SpaceX wants to activate the service for the middle of the 2020. To do it they need other 6 to 8 launches. Obviusly the initial coverage won’t reach every corner of the planet (which is the final purpose of the project), but only some areas of the United States.
The space connection
For the half of the next year the connection serivce of Starlink will be so activated and everything must be ready for that moment.
To connect to the satellites’ network we will need a simple terminal that the customers will have to put in their houses. Afterwards they will be connected, not any more via land, but via space.
If to activate the service in the United States we still need 6/8 launches, to complete the initial project of about 12.000 satellites, we will need 24. But the space agency of SpaceX said that they want to complete the launches for the end of the 2020. It is so probable that all the world will be able to use the space connection for the 2021.
Meanwhile they are preparing for the first activations of the service and to tell it is Gwynnw Shotwell, president and CEO of SpaceX: “The customers will receive a box from SpaceX with a user terminal and a cable. We still have so much to do to do it well. Knowing him, Elon wants that everything is beautiful. So the user terminal will be amazing”.
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