Toward Global Connectivity

SpaceX recently deployed 60 additional satellites, bringing the total number of spacecraft in their Starlink constellation to nearly 1,500. The company was also granted permission by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to lower the operating altitude for more than 2,800 satellites from a range of 1100-1300 kilometers (684-808 miles) to a range of 540-570 kilometers (335-354 miles).

The lower orbit will improve the speed of Internet access by shortening the distance that data must travel between the satellites and base stations on earth. It will also allow the network to be deployed more quickly.

The goal of the Starlink initiative is to bring reliable broadband access to remote areas across the globe. The network is already sending low-latency broadband signals to beta users; however, SpaceX has been authorized to deploy approximately 12,000 satellites in total, at a range of altitudes and frequency bands. Although the system does not yet have complete global coverage, launches scheduled for later this year will be aimed at achieving that goal by placing satellites into polar orbit.