Starlink App Launches ‘Sleep Schedule’ Feature

Photo: Nathan Owens

SpaceX has launched a new feature for the Starlink app version 2023.03.0 called “sleep schedule,” which is intended to help save energy during normal sleeping hours (via @Nathan Owens).

The feature toggles a power-saving mode, causing the dish to report an outage reason as “Sleeping” during the pre-set hours.

The update also included the addition of a “cable ping drop rate,” measuring the drop rate between the Starlink dish and router.

Another user in the thread, @Marcus Tuck, pointed out that the sleep schedule only dropped the dish’s power from 35W to an average of 25W, using a DC-powered rectangular dish.

This Starlink feature has launched as of app version 2023.03.0. There is also a “cable ping drop rate” between the dish and router. https://t.co/D9BqtaniZS pic.twitter.com/vQmouvjfIy

— Nathan Owens (@VirtuallyNathan) January 26, 2023

Additionally, however, Tuck points out that if the average user turns sleep mode on for six hours per night, then that would equal roughly 21.9kW/hr saved per year. When multiplied by a million users, it results in a “massive carbon reduction.”

The news comes just a few days after some Starlink customers reported frustrating latency spikes every 5-15 minutes. Still, despite the residential woes, SpaceX is continuing to expand its maritime users, recently cutting hardware prices by as much as 50 percent for maritime accounts.

SpaceX also launched an additional 56 Starlink satellites into orbit on Thursday, marking the largest payload ever launched by the company’s Falcon 9 booster.