How Elon Musk’s Starlink of more than 3,000 satellites works

This week, Ministers have announced that Elon Musk’s SpaceX will help connect the most isolated parts of the British countryside. using a broadband beam from space.

SpaceX launched 3,271 Starlink satellites into space as of November 2022 to provide high-speed Internet services to remote areas of the Earth.

There are a total of 3,236 satellites in operation, but Musk hopes to have up to 42,000 satellites in his so-called “mega-constellation”.

So what is this system, how can it change the world and what is connected with it? MailOnline is watching.

Mega Constellation: Elon Musk's SpaceX has launched thousands of satellites into space to provide high-speed internet services to remote areas of the Earth.

Mega Constellation: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched thousands of satellites into space to provide high-speed internet services to remote areas of the Earth.

What is satellite internet?

In 2016, the United Nations declared Internet access a fundamental human right.

However, many people around the world struggle to get online due to lack of infrastructure or extortionate costs.

While satellite internet has been around for a while, it suffers from high latency and unreliable connections.

Starlink is different. SpaceX said its goal is to provide high-speed, low-latency internet around the world, especially in remote areas, at a low cost.

Musk has previously said the venture could give the 3 billion people who currently don’t have internet access a cheap way to get online.

It will also help fund a future city on Mars.

Helping humanity get to the Red Planet and become multi-planetary is one of Musk’s longstanding goals, which inspired him to create SpaceX.

Where is Starlink available?

Starlink is now available in 32 countries with coverage in the US, Europe and Australia.

It includes most of the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

To find out if Starlink Internet is available where you are, the company has interactive map detailing locations where Starlink internet is available, which areas are on the waiting list, and areas that are “coming soon”.

Musk has previously said the venture could give the 3 billion people who currently don't have internet access a cheap way to get online.

Musk has previously said the venture could give the 3 billion people who currently don’t have internet access a cheap way to get online.

“Starlink is ideal for regions where connectivity was unreliable or completely unavailable,” Starlink’s home page says.

“People all over the world use Starlink to access education, medical services and even communication support during natural disasters.”

Starlink Internet can be connected to remote locations in just a few minutes, making it a useful resource in an emergency.

It was deployed in Ukraine with great success following the Russian invasion, and in February 2022, at least 50 Starlink terminals were sent to the Pacific island of Tonga following a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami that cut off remote villages.

Tests show they can deliver speeds of up to 200 megabits per second, much faster than the copper cables typically used to feed internet into hostile areas.

What does this mean for Britain?

UK ministers have announced that Musk is going to help connect the most isolated parts of the British countryside.

A dozen sites in extreme environments where it is too difficult to upgrade with expensive physical cables will benefit from broadband speeds that can be ten times faster.

SpaceX has completed 31 successful launches in 2021 and has already surpassed that record by July of this year.

SpaceX has completed 31 successful launches in 2021 and has already surpassed that record by July of this year.

The satellites, provided by the billionaire’s Starlink service, will provide high-speed Wi-Fi to a 12th-century abbey in the North York swamps, a scout camp in Snowdonia and mountain rescue teams in the Lake District.

After testing, the government will consider using the technology to connect rural homes and businesses in the UK.

The trial will look at how the introduction of high-speed broadband will improve services in the one percent of locations in the UK that are too difficult to upgrade with expensive physical cables.

How many launches were there this year?

SpaceX carried out 31 successful launches in 2021 and has already surpassed this record by July of this year.

The company currently averages more than one launch per week and plans to complete more than 50 launches this year.

The current version of each Starlink satellite weighs approximately 573 pounds (260 kg), according to Spaceflight Now.

They orbit about 342 miles (550 km) above the Earth and put on a spectacular show for observers as they move across the sky.

Are there competing systems?

Musk rival Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, also plans to launch a constellation of low-orbit satellites to provide broadband access to remote areas as part of his Kuiper project.

He describes the project as “a long-term initiative to launch a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that will provide high-speed, low-latency broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.”

The firm has filed with the FCC to launch more than 3,000 low-orbit satellites into space to help with the project.

The satellites will be at an altitude of 589 to 629 km (366 to 391 miles) above the Earth.

What are the caveats about Starlink?

Astronomers have raised concerns about light pollution and other interference caused by these satellite constellations.

Spaceflight safety experts now consider Starlink the number one collision hazard in Earth’s orbit, while some scientists fear that the amount of metal burned in the atmosphere as old satellites are deorbited could cause unpredictable changes in the planet’s climate.

Last year, Musk responded to claims that his Starlink satellites were taking over space following backlash from China and the European Space Agency.

Astronomers have raised concerns about light pollution and other interference caused by these satellite constellations.  This is an artist's impression of a SpaceX satellite.

Astronomers have raised concerns about light pollution and other interference caused by these satellite constellations. This is an artist’s impression of a SpaceX satellite.

In an interview, SpaceX CEO Musk said that “tens of billions” of spacecraft could be orbiting the Earth and dismissed claims that his firm is “crowding competitors out in space.”

The billionaire tech entrepreneur has come under fire from China over two “close encounters” between his satellites and Beijing’s new Tiangong space station.

“Space is just incredibly huge, and the satellites are very tiny,” Musk said in an interview with the Financial Times.

“This is not a situation where we effectively block others in any way. We have not forbidden anything to anyone and do not expect it.

Musk argued that each satellite revolves around the Earth in its own “shell” – in essence, it is a trajectory around the Earth at a certain fixed height, which has a larger diameter than the Earth itself.

He compared this to the density of 2 billion cars and trucks, which cover only part of the earth’s surface.

“That means room for tens of billions of satellites,” Musk said. “A couple of thousand satellites is nothing. It’s like, hey, here’s a couple of thousand cars on Earth – that’s nothing.”

Elon Musk’s Starlink offers internet for yachts and other huge ships for $5,000 a month.

SpaceX expands its Starlink internet service to oceans, rivers and lakes – at a high cost.

Starlink Maritime is now available and the company is targeting superyacht owners, oil rigs and merchant ships as potential customers.

The service includes a $10,000 upfront hardware payment for two Starlink “protected” dishes, and recurring costs of $5,000 per month.

In comparison, Space Internet costs $110 per month with a one-time hardware fee of $599 for residential customers; it’s also available for businesses and RVs.

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SpaceX predicts sea speeds of 100-350 Mbps down and 20-40 Mbps up.  The photo shows one of his companions attached to the boat.

SpaceX predicts sea speeds of 100-350 Mbps down and 20-40 Mbps up. The photo shows one of his companions attached to the boat.