On Friday, May 24, Elon Musks SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites into Earths orbit to begin a global internet service. The space research company used its Falcon 9 reusable rocket to carry these Starlink satellites into a low orbit, to enable them to form an international broadband connection that will be active by 2020.
SpaceX has confirmed that the 60 satellites have been successfully launched from Florida and deployed in orbit at 550 kilometres from Earth. This mission was ambitious and expensive, and has been delayed twice before due to poor weather conditions like strong winds, reports Reuters.
On Twitter, Musk wrote, All 60 Starlink satellites online, solar array deployment coming up soon.
Next year, Starlink hopes to launch 720 satellites and bring global internet services to the most populated regions on Earth. According to Reuters, Musk is expecting Starlink services to bring in an annual income of $3 billion.
SpaceX said on Twitter, Falcon 9 launches 60 Starlink satellites to orbit – targeting up to 6 Starlink launches this year and will accelerate our cadence next year to put ~720 satellites in orbit for continuous coverage of most populated areas on Earth.
When the Starlink satellites were launched, they looked like a trail of moving lights through the sky. However, those unaware of the launch reported that they had seen UFOs.
How Starlink will create a global internet service
The Indian Express explains that the Starlink network will use a total 12,000 low-orbit satellites that move in three different orbital shells about 500 to 1,300 kilometres above the Earth. The Starlink satellites will essentially be arranged in a constellation to deliver hi-speed internet.
The Starlink Mission says, SpaceXs Starlink is a next-generation satellite network capable of connecting the globe, especially reaching those who are not yet connected, with reliable and affordable broadband internet services.
These satellites will patch internet services through to a receiver worth $200 or around Rs 14,000 that can be installed in homes, airplanes, ships, and more. The Starlink satellites will get radio wave signals from stations on Earth and use lasers to transmit those waves back to the closest installed receiver.
The satellites are powered by one solar array or a panel that uses sunlight to generate energy. SpaceX says, Starlink satellites are equipped with one solar array instead of two, minimizing potential points of failure.
Starlink satellites weigh 227 kg, making them the heaviest payload that Falcon 9 has ferried.
Issues with Starlink and promises for internet in India
In April, when India tested long-range missiles for Mission Shakti, NASA criticised the country for creating more space debris in the atmosphere. NASA even went so far as to call Mission Shakti a terrible, terrible experiment that put the International Space Station in danger of collision with the floating debris.
While there has been no irreparable diplomatic damage between the US and India, the US Department of State Spokesperson Robert Palladino did need to reassure the international community that ties between the two countries were still strong.
People expressed similar concerns about the Starlink satellites increasing space pollution and debris in orbit. However, Musk took to Twitter to put those rumours to bed.
Musk said there are already 4,900 Starlink satellites in orbit, but they are hardly noticeable and have almost no impact on astronomy. He also concurred that some disturbance was a fair trade off if Starlink could give people in remote collections gain access to the internet.
Musk tweeted, Exactly, potentially helping billions of economically disadvantaged people is the greater good. That said, well make sure Starlink has no material effect on discoveries in astronomy. We care a great deal about science.
He added that SpaceX would love to put Starlink telescopes in space to make up for any issues the astronomy community faces.
Starlink is only operational with US providers as of now, but major parties, namely the BJP and AAP, have also chalked out plans for greater internet and utilities connectivity in India.
In its 2019 manifesto, the BJP said it will ensure rural areas get optic fibre internet connections, 175 gigawatts of renewable energy, and 100% electrification of all Indian households. AAP in Delhi has also been juggling different models of hi-speed Wi-Fi.
In 2018, AAP said it was working on bringing optical fibre home connections, internet vouchers, and free Wi-Fi in the NCT region.
Rhea Arora is a Staff Writer at Qrius