Photo: Polaris Program
The Polaris Program is donating SpaceX’s Starlink internet to more than 100 schools in Chile and Brazil over the next couple of months, as announced in a press release shared by the organization on Tuesday (via @Jared Isaacman).
Isaacman and the Polaris Dawn crew are delivering Starlink hardware to schools in Chile throughout October, followed by deliveries to Brazil in November.
The team is also working with non-profit organizations Enseña Chile in Chile and MegaEdu in Brazil to help identify schools in need of internet.
In a post on Twitter, Mission Commander Isaacman noted that over three million schools and more than one billion students don’t have internet access, pointing out the barriers lack of connectivity creates.
There are 3+ million schools & 1+ billion students without access to internet. That lack of connectivity is a barrier to solving so many challenges. Investments in space, like Starlink, can make 🌍 a better place. @PolarisProgram was happy to support such an important effort🚀 https://t.co/V2ioQQDhod
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) October 26, 2022
“Access to information is foundational to solving many of the world’s problems. Starlink connectivity is an example of how progress in space benefits those on Earth,” said Isaacman in the press release.
The crew answered questions for the San Miguel de Quintrilpe school in La Araucanía, Chile about Starlink and the upcoming mission.
SpaceX is set to launch the Polaris Dawn mission in March 2023 using the Falcon 9 booster. The crew comprises Isaacman and Mission Pilot Kidd Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis and Mission Specialist/Medical Officer Anna Menon.
Together, the Polaris Dawn crew will head into orbit at 1,400 km, considered the highest Earth orbit ever flown, and will perform experiments — including testing of Starlink’s internet in space.
