STARLINK

SPACE X LAUNCHES NANO SATELLITES TO PROVIDE BROADBAND INTERNET IN REMOTE AND RURAL LOCATIONS

Starlink is a constellation of satellites being built by the American company SpaceX to provide Internet access via satellite. The constellation will consist of thousands of small, mass-produced satellites, working in combination with terrestrial transceivers. SpaceX also plans to sell some of the satellites for military, scientific or exploratory purposes. (As of January 2020), SpaceX has deployed 182 satellites. They plan to deploy 60 more per Falcon 9 launch, with launches every two weeks after the end of 2019. In total, around 12,000 satellites will be deployed by the mid-2020s, with a possible extension later to 42,000. The initial 12,000 satellites are planned to orbit in three orbital shells: first placing approximately 1,600 in a shell at 550 kilometers (340 mi) altitude, then approximately 2,800 Ku- and Ka-band spectrum satellites at 1,150 kilometers (710 mi) and approximately 7,500 V-band satellites at 340 km (210 miles). Commercial operation could begin in 2020. Concerns have been raised about the long-term danger of space junk resulting from placing thousands of satellites in orbits above 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and a possible impact on astronomy, although SpaceX is trying to address the problem. question. The total cost of the decade-long project to design, build and deploy the constellation was estimated by SpaceX in May 2018 to be around $10 billion. Product development began in 2015, with the first two prototype test flight satellites launched in February 2018. A second set of test satellites and the first major deployment of a piece of the constellation took place on May 24, 2019 ( UTC), when the first 60 operational satellites were launched. SpaceX's satellite development facility in Redmond, Washington, houses Starlink's in-orbit research, development, manufacturing and control operations. "Starlink is ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge," the Starlink website reads. "Unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure, Starlink can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable." All you need to do to make the connection is set up a small satellite dish at your home to receive the signal and pass the bandwidth on to your router. The company offers several mounting options for rooftops, yards and the exterior of your home. There's even a Starlink app for Android and iOS that uses augmented reality to help customers pick the best location and position for their receivers.