What is Starlink?

The dream of accessing the internet no matter where you live might become a reality sooner than you might think. In 2015, SpaceX, the company owned by technology billionaire Elon Musk, announced it was developing such a service called Starlink. But what is Starlink, exactly? Keep reading as we reveal more about this upcoming and highly ambitious space internet service.

How does Starlink work?

Once it becomes fully operational, Starlink will offer internet access from virtually anywhere on the planet. Elon Musk’s Starlink effort aims to launch thousands of small satellites into low Earth orbit. They will then be able to transmit fast internet signals down to Earth.

What do the satellites look like?

Each satellite in the Starlink project weighs just 573 pounds (260kg). The body of each satellite is flat, and up to 60 of them can fit into one of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets. Once put in orbit, a single large solar array comes out to power the satellite. The central portion includes four powerful antennas for internet transmissions. Each satellite relies on a set of lasers to connect with four others in orbit. Finally, they have ion thrusters that use krypton gas. This allows them to stay in orbit longer even at these lower distances from Earth.

How fast will Starlink internet speeds be like?

The SpaceX Starlink satellites will remain in low orbit, around 350 miles above the Earth. Because of that relatively short distance, SpaceX claims the latency should be between 25ms and 35ms. That should be fast enough for most internet tasks, including gaming. Download speeds should also be pretty quick, at about 1Gbps. SpaceX has yet to confirm what upload speeds will be like.

By comparison, the current HughesNet satellite internet service offers download speeds of up to 25Mbps. However, its latency speeds are much slower, at about 600ms.

A recent thread on Reddit claims that the early beta tests for Starlink speeds show download speeds of between 37Mbps and 60Mbps, with upload speeds between 4.5Mbps and 17.70Mbps. However, these speeds have been unconfirmed by SpaceX.  In a CNN article, emails reportedly sent by Starlink to possible beta testers stated that speeds for them would be “50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms.” The emails added that Starlink expects to improve on those speeds in the coming months.  Indeed, a Reddit thread on download speeds show that they are being recorded at 150Mbps at the moment.

How many satellites have launched so far?

SpaceX launched its first test satellites in 2018. This was followed by the first official 60 satellites for the service in 2019. The most recent launch took place in late May 2021, with further launches planned for each month of the year. As of this writing, SpaceX has put up about 1,737 satellites into orbit. Of that number, about 1,634 are estimated to be in full operation, according to Spaceflightnow.com. That number means that SpaceX has completed its first “shell” of satellites.

How many satellites will be needed for the service?

The company has received permission from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put as many as 12,000 SpaceX Starlink satellites above the planet. It will form a kind of “Starlink constellation” in the sky. SpaceX would like to put even more satellites above the Earth. Ultimately, the “Starlink constellation” could have as many as 42,000 satellites in orbit.

How much will Starlink internet access cost?

In a CNN article, an email reportedly from Starlink is inviting people to try out the service. The email claims that it will cost $499 for a one-time cost for the ground hardware and $99 a month for the basic internet service.  By comparison, the HughesNet service costs as much as $150 a month, with a 50GB high-speed data plan (at 25Mbps) and horrible latency that makes gaming impossible, and even tasks like streaming can be quite the chore.

When will Starlink internet be available?

Musk claimed in a Twitter post in April 2020 that a private beta will begin around three months from that point. While not confirmed, it appears that a private beta test has started for select users. Musk added that a public beta would begin in about six months. In late October, according to CNN, people who expressed interest in signing up for the service received emails asking them to sign up for what the company called the “Better Than Nothing Beta” test. In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission in February 2021, SpaceX stated that it has signed up 10,000 customers for its Starlink beta test. The full service is expected to launch sometime in 2021.