Space X launched 54 of its next-generation Starlink internet satellites into orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida this morning.
This is the first batch of up to 7,500 units of the upgraded model – known as “Gen 2” – to be sent into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
These are said to be more powerful than the first-generation models, so they can handle more traffic, but they may also be able to stream internet services directly to smartphones.
The rocket lifted off at 09:43 GMT (04:43 ET) and the second stage containing the satellites separated from the first stage about two and a half minutes later.
Space X launched 54 of its next-generation Starlink internet satellites into orbit this morning from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA
This is the first batch of up to 7,500 units of the upgraded model – known as “Gen 2” – to be sent into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Pictured: First generation Starlink satellites
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE “GEN2” STARLINK SATELLITES?
The Starlink Gen2 satellite is an updated version of the first-generation model that SpaceX launched 3,300 from.
These are said to be more powerful, meaning they can handle more traffic and provide faster service.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said in the past that they will also offer direct smartphone connectivity and help extend cellular coverage to “dead zones” around the world.
However, it’s unclear whether the satellites launched today will have this capability, as documentation suggests the hardware required makes them too heavy to be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket.
While the second stage continued into space, the first returned to Earth, landing on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic about eight minutes after launch.
This was the eleventh flight of the reusable rocket, and SpaceX will also try to recover the two parts of its nose cones, which were parachuted to Earth.
It was also SpaceX’s 60th successful launch this year, setting a new record for Elon Musk’s company since the previous one was set in 2021 with 31 launches.
However, they have plans for at least one more Starlink launch mission before the new year.
Just under 19 minutes after launch, the satellites separated from the second phase of today’s mission.
SpaceX currently has about 3,300 Starlink satellites in orbit, and last week Mr Musk boasted they now have one million active subscribers.
They offer high-speed, low-latency internet at affordable costs — often in remote areas with no existing Wi-Fi — and expanded this year to yachts, cruise ships, and RVs.
Tests have shown that the service offers speeds of up to 200 megabits per second, which is higher than what copper cables typically used in more remote areas can achieve.
However, according to a report by Ookla, Starlink’s speeds have slowed by as much as 54 percent in some countries around the world as it’s used more.
Commenting on today’s launch live stream, Jessie Anderson, production and engineering manager at SpaceX, confirmed that the Gen2 satellites allow them to “add more customers and provide faster service.”
She added: “This launch marks the first of Starlink’s updated network.
‘Under our new license we are now able to launch satellites into new orbits which will add even more capacity to the network.’
Commenting on today’s launch live stream, Jessie Anderson, a SpaceX production and engineering manager, confirmed that the Gen2 satellites allow them to “add more customers and provide faster service.”
The rocket lifted off at 09:43 GMT (04:43 ET) and the second stage containing the satellites separated from the first stage about two and a half minutes later. Pictured: The second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket separates from the first stage during launch today
SpaceX received approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Dec. 1 to deploy 7,500 Gen2 satellites.
However, the company had applied for approval to launch 30,000 of these before the end of the decade, which was not accepted.
The FCC imposed this limit on the number of satellites due to “concerns about orbital debris and space safety.”
Five days later, SpaceX filed another application with the FCC asking permission to equip the satellites with direct-to-cellular hardware.
This would allow users to connect their cell phones to the network to increase their coverage.
On Aug. 25, Mr. Musk and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert announced their vision to join forces to create a signal for “almost everywhere a [T-Mobile] Customer can see the sky’.
At the time, the world’s richest man said the hardware-equipped Gen2 satellites would need to be 23 feet (7 m) long and weigh 1.25 tons.
![On August 25, Mr. Musk (right) and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert (left) announced their vision to work together to signal “almost everywhere a [T-Mobile] Customer can see the sky](https://www.spamchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/1672238874_442_Elon-Musks-SpaceX-launches-the-first-batch-of-next-generation-Starlink.jpg "Elon Musk's SpaceX launches the first batch of next-generation Starlink satellites 7")
On August 25, Mr. Musk (right) and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert (left) announced their vision to work together to signal “almost everywhere a [T-Mobile] Customer can see the sky
At the time, Elon Musk said the hardware-equipped Gen2 satellites would need to be 23 feet (7 m) long and weigh 1.25 tons. This is significantly heavier than the first-generation Starlink satellites, which weigh around 300kg.
This is significantly heavier than the first-generation Starlink satellites, which weigh around 300kg.
As a result, they would have to be launched from Mr. Musk’s giant Starship rocket, which is under development and could take humans to the moon by 2025.
However, he also hinted that SpaceX may be building a “mini” version of the Gen2 satellites that could be launched on the Falcon 9 rockets in the meantime.
Documents filed with the FCC in October describe three different configurations for Starlink Gen 2 satellites.
One of these, dubbed “F9-1,” has roughly the same dimensions and mass as the current V1.5 satellites and may therefore have been on board the Falcon 9 today.
It is currently unclear whether the satellites launched this morning will be used to test new software or hardware that will enable cellular connectivity.
If you enjoyed this article, you might like…
What is Starlink? How Elon Musk’s ‘mega-constellation’ of over 3,000 satellites is bringing high-speed broadband to remote areas of the UK.
Find out about the secret satellite project dubbed “Starshield” that has been quietly revealed by SpaceX and will aid in “national security” in the US.
NASA intentionally crashed a flying car with dummies on board – and the vehicle was “destroyed beyond all expectation”.
ELON MUSK’S SPACEX BRINGS BROADBAND INTERNET TO THE WORLD WITH ITS STARLINK CONSTELLATION OF SATELLITE
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched more than 3,000 of its “Starlink” space internet satellites and hopes to have 30,000 in the sky.
They form a constellation designed to provide low-cost broadband Internet service from low Earth orbit.
Although satellite internet has been around for some time, it has suffered from high latency and unreliable connections.
Starlink is different. SpaceX said its goal is to provide high-speed, low-latency internet worldwide — especially in remote areas.
Musk has previously said the company could provide an inexpensive way to get online for three billion people who currently don’t have access to the internet.
It will also help fund a future city on Mars.
Helping humanity reach the Red Planet and become multiplanetary is one of Musk’s long-professed goals and inspired him to found SpaceX.
Musk’s rival Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is also planning to launch a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit to bring broadband access to remote areas as part of his Kuiper project.
However, astronomers have raised concerns about light pollution and other interference emanating from these satellite constellations.