Satellite internet megaconstellation (Starlink)
Constelación de internet por satélite (Starlink)
- Date
- 2019 · confidence high
- Place
- SpaceX, Redmond, Washington (manufacturing), and Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
- Credited to
- SpaceX; first 60 satellites in May 2019, service in 2020-2021
- Field
- Communication
What it is
Thousands of mass-produced low Earth orbit satellites that offer broadband anywhere on the planet. It is the largest constellation ever deployed and a strategic piece of infrastructure.
What it led to
- Connectivity in remote areas, ships, aircraft and war zones (Ukraine)
- The geopolitical power of a private company over communications
- Astronomical light pollution and the risk of orbital collisions
Built on
- Iridium1803
- Communications satellite (Telstar 1, Syncom, Intelsat I)1962
- CubeSat1999-2003
- Reusable orbital rocket (Falcon 9)2015
- reusable Falcon 9 rocket
- Iridium (1998)
Made possible
- direct satellite-to-mobile connectivity
- resilient military communications