From PC Mag: SpaceX is aiming to double the number of Starlink satellites in orbit over the coming 18 months, which promises to let more people subscribe to the satellite internet service.
CEO Elon Musk tweeted about the goal on Monday. “Expecting over 4200 Starlink satellites in operation within 18 months, which is ~2/3 of all active satellites of Earth,” he wrote.
The number is significant because SpaceX currently has over 1,600 Starlink satellites in operation, according to the astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who has been tracking SpaceX satellite activity. Another 400 Starlink satellites are moving into the operational orbits.
All these satellites were launched over a three-year period dating back to May 2019. However, Musk’s tweet signals the company is now ready to accelerate Starlink’s buildout using the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
“SpaceX Falcon team is making excellent progress – aiming for 60 launches this year,” Musk added in a separate tweet.
View: Full Article
