SpaceX puts up 60 satellites for Musk's 'Starlink' internet
May 24, 2019
SpaceX has launched a rocket with the first batch of satellites of its "Starlink" constellation, which is designed to offer internet services from space. The system will need a dozen more launches to become operational.
Advertisement
Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX firm on Thursday launched a Falcon 9 rocket containing the first 60 satellites of its multibillion-dollar "Starlink" constellation. The system is intended to provide internet from space and could one day number 12,000 satellites.
The rocket took off without incident from Cape Canaveral in Florida around 10:30 p.m. local time (0230 UTC).
The second stage will see the satellites released one hour after launch, at an altitude of 270 miles (440 kilometers). They will then use their thrusters to take up position in a relatively low orbit of 340 miles (550 kilometers).
That's slightly higher than the International Space Station, but well below the majority of terrestrial satellites, the highest of which sit in a geostationary orbit of 22,400 miles (36,000 kilometers).
From colonies on Mars to Hyperloop — Elon Musk's multifarious projects
Billionaire investor and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has always done things his own way, from designing space rockets to manufacturing electric cars. Here's a look at some of his grand futuristic projects.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/J. Lampen
A serial entrepreneur
Tech visionary Musk intends to revolutionize transportation, both on earth and in space, and the way humans lead their lives. Over the past two decades, the South African-born American entrepreneur has emerged as one of Silicon Valley's most recognized faces worldwide. Musk was cofounder of Paypal, which was acquired by eBay for $1.4 billion (€1.2 billion) in 2002.
Image: picture allianc/dpa/A. Sokolow
Eying space
In 2002, Musk founded SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company currently valued at over $20 billion. He wants to make space travel cheaper and, eventually, enable human life on Mars, thus giving human kind a chance at becoming multi-planetary species.
Image: Reuters/T. Baur
A mission to Mars
SpaceX's Falcon and Dragon rocket programs both already deliver payloads into Earth's orbit. The company has said it wants to launch its Mars-bound cargo flight in 2022, followed by the first Mars flight with passengers in 2024.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Press Association Images/Spacex
Transforming transportation
After founding SpaceX, Musk set up Tesla in 2003 to come up with electric autonomous vehicles and renewable energy solutions. But production bottlenecks have plagued the company, with much of its future banked on the Model 3, its first mid-price, mass-market vehicle.
Image: Reuters/Tesla
Really big Teslas are coming
After the foray into electric cars, Musk last year opened a new chapter in his book of visions as he unveiled the prototype of a futuristic all-electric heavy truck. The vehicle — dubbed the Tesla Semi — is set to go into production in 2019. It would boast 500 miles of range, a battery and motors that will last 1 million miles and cheaper total operating costs than diesel models, Musk claimed.
Image: Reuters/A. Sage
Roofs made of solar tiles
Besides running SpaceX and Tesla, Musk has also invested in the solar energy company SolarCity to turn his vision of a solar-powered future into a reality. Musk said houses equipped with Tesla's Solar Roof would feed energy to Powerwall, a sleek storage unit designed to act as an electricity fill-up station for both the house and a Tesla electric car.
Image: picture-alliance/Newscom/Tesla/UPI
Dreaming an electric future
In 2015, Musk unveiled Powerwall, a home battery unit with a selling price of $3,500 for 10kWh and $3,000 for 7kWh. The Powerwall can be controlled via one's phone, from anywhere. But slow production rates have proved to be a problem.
Image: Reuters/P. T. Fallon
Hyperloop
Hyperloop came into global prominence after it was proposed by Musk in 2013. It is viewed as a next-generation transportation system — a "fifth mode" of transport (after planes, trains, cars and boats). It uses magnetically-levitated pods and sealed partial vacuum transit tubes to move people and freight at supersonic speeds estimated to reach over 700 miles per hour (1,127 kilometers per hour).
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/SpaceX
Merging brain with AI
In 2016, Musk co-founded Neuralink, a neurotechnology startup that is reportedly trying to create brain-computer interfaces by integrating the human brain with artificial intelligence (AI). The project is currently at an early stage of development.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Kiran
9 images1 | 9
Competition for space
The launch marks the heaviest payload for any SpaceX rocket to date, as each satellite weighs 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
The satellites are designed to form the initial phase of a planned constellation capable of beaming signals for high-speed internet service from space to paying customers around the globe. Starlink will become operational once 800 satellites have been activated, which will require a dozen more launches.
Musk has said he sees the new Starlink venture as an important new revenue stream for his California-based Space Exploration Technologies, known as SpaceX, whose launch service income he expects to top out at around $3 billion (€2.7 billion) a year.
The latest launch will make SpaceX an early forerunner, along with rival OneWeb, a startup, but well ahead of Amazon's Project Kuiper, the brainchild of Musk's space rival Jeff Bezos.