Elon Musk is a busy guy , and the latest project on his scale regard launch 60 satellite into distance tomorrow . The launch is part of his company SpaceX ’s Starlink architectural plan — an challenging attack to bring gamey - speed , low - latency cyberspace to anyone in the public .
The gist of it is as follows . Starlink centers around using low earth orbit ( LEO ) satellites . fundamentally , once enough satellites are in orbit , they link to ground pole on Earth that are some the sizing of a pizza box . Compared to exist net planet systems , LEO satellite configuration are much closer to Earth—99 to 1,200 milesinstead of the 22,000 miles used by traditional geostationary satellites . That have in mind LEO satellites can transfer information more quickly , with speeds like to wired broadband and fiber - optic cyberspace . According to a study byBroadbandNow , LEO planet networks could potentially save American households more than $ 30 billion in internet fee per twelvemonth , as well as surrender more reliable service to rural areas that do n’t have many options when it comes to gamy - pep pill wire cyberspace .
As exciting as that is , however , tomorrow ’s launching is still a mental testing run . Musk tweeted a photo of the satellites jammed into a Falcon 9 skyrocket on Saturday , point out that they were “ production design . ” SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell alsorecently statedthis launch will focus on scale down “ psychometric test satellite ” that , while very capable , want intersatellite link . The 60 satellites are also slightly different from the two demo satellites SpaceXlaunched in February 2018 , nicknamed TinTin A and TinTin B.
Photo: Getty Images
First 60@SpaceXStarlink satellite load into Falcon fairing . Tight fit.pic.twitter.com/gZq8gHg9uK
— Elon Musk ( @elonmusk)May 12 , 2019
SpaceX has a comely amount bait on the achiever of tomorrow ’s launching . The final Starlink constellation is planned to have around 12,000 satellites total . flop now , SpaceX hasFCC approvalto plunge 1,584 satellites at a height of 340 naut mi ( 550 kilometers ) , and the other 2,825 at about 690 - 825 international mile ( 1,110 to 1,325 kilometers ) . However , that approval is contingent on SpaceX set in motion at least half of the 4,409 satellite in the next six years . After that , the companionship will only have about three age to wind up setting up the constellation . Musktweetedthat SpaceX need six more 60 - satellite launches for venial reporting , and twelve for restrained coverage . The company has architectural plan for an additionaltwo to six Starlink launches , but how many find this yr will bet on how everything goes tomorrow . No matter which means you look at it , that ’s a pretty smashed timeline .
So long as conditions hold in up and the world does n’t burst forth , the launching is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET tomorrow at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida . ( you could watch it on SpaceX’slive webcast . )
Starlink is n’t the only megaconstellation labor in the work , however . Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos ’s Blue Origin also wants to launch 3,236 LEO satellite in an go-ahead its dubbedProject Kuiper . OneWeb also has plans to send up 900 satellites by 2021 , and launched thefirst sixin February .
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