image via SpaceX
On April 22nd, 2020, the SpaceX team logged a successful launch of their Starlink. What is the mission of Starlink? Well, it’s quite straightforward, yet still complex in its execution. SpaceX Starlink aims to provide internet access to people all over the world. If successful, the project would make internet available to those even in the most remote locations. Following the success of the April 22nd launch, the company made some headway toward that goal.
Starlink launches began in May of 2019. However, the current launches use an updated technology. In 2019, the company was merely testing a design known as v0.9. Since their first launches, updated v1.0 spacecraft satellites have placed a total of over 400 Starlink satellites into orbit.
A recent tweet from SpaceX highlights the mission of Starlink, stating “Starlink will deliver high speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable.”
Starlink will deliver high speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 22, 2020
As SpaceX and Tesla Inc. CEO stated on Twitter, the project expects a public beta test of the program to go online sometime in the latter half of 2020. Yesterday, Musk’s tweet said “Private beta begins in ~3 months, public beta in ~6 months, starting with high latitudes.”
Private beta begins in ~3 months, public beta in ~6 months, starting with high latitudes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2020
With private beta testing going into effect soon, SpaceX is surely on track to achieve its goal of providing global internet with Starlink.
