According to a recent tweet from SpaceX (@SpaceX), the space exploration company is currently targeting Monday, September 13, at 8:55 p.m. PDT for its next launch of Starlink satellites from its home state of California.
These are V1.5 Starlinks with laser inter-satellite links, which are needed for high latitudes & mid ocean coverage
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 11, 2021
Responding to the tweet with one of his own, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (@elonmusk) added that the planned launch is for V1.5 Starlink satellites.
These improved satellites bring inter-satellite laser links, coined ‘laser crosslinks’, that allow individual Starlink satellites to beam information between one another entirely on their own, no connection to ground equipment required.
SpaceX’s first Starlink satellites with laser crosslinks went live back in January, with the company implementing the new technology across its entire fleet last month.
SpaceX’s Starlink project is a satellite internet constellation that aims to provide high-speed broadband internet across the globe, especially to areas devoid of it. With laser crosslinks, the soon-to-be-deployed satellites will help expand Starlink’s reach to high latitudes and improve mid-ocean coverage.
The planned launch will see 51 Starlink satellites launched into low-Earth orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. You can learn more about the launch on the SpaceX website, and it will be streamed live on SpaceX’s YouTube channel.
