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starlink

SpaceX lofts another 60 satellites

Despite a few technical and weather-related delays SpaceX successfully launched another 60 of its Starlink high-speed broadband-by-satellite craft into orbit on October 24th from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral (at 15.31 UTC). This extra batch of 60 satellites was the 15th launch for the Starlink fleet, and takes the overall fleet size to well […]

October 26, 2020By Chris Forrester

SpaceX’s 15th launch readies, but challenges remain

Building on the success of its 14th launch on October 18th, SpaceX is readying its 15th batch of Starlink craft for a possible launch on October 21st. Currently a launch of the next batch of 60 satellites is scheduled for 12.36pm Florida time dependent on the usual weather and any last-minute technical delays. Subject to […]

October 20, 2020

EU to seek pan-European broadband-by-satellite system?

ASD-Eurospace, Europe’s space industry trade association, issued what it called an ‘Industry Manifesto’ on October 15 which called for a “resilient satellite system for secure connectivity […] to make Europe fit for the Digital Age”. The document calls for a constellation of Low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites, owned by the European Commission, and serving military, […]

October 19, 2020By Chris Forrester

Another 60 Starlink craft enter orbit

SpaceX launched another 60 of its Starlink broadband-by-satellite craft into orbit at 8.25am Florida time on October 18th. This was the 14th batch of Starlink launches and takes the delivered total of Low Earth orbiting satellites to 835 (although some have been deorbited). The 60 satellites on board were deployed into a near-circular orbit some […]

October 19, 2020By Chris Forrester

Musk registers Australian business

Elon Musk’s satellite constellation Starlink has registered a business in Australia. Starlink Australia Pty Ltd has been created out of a pre-registered company – Tibro Australia Pty Ltds. Tibro (‘orbit’ backwards) in Australia was granted a telecommunications licence in Australia (by the Australian Communications & Media Authority) on August 7th. There has been no formal […]

October 13, 2020By Chris Forrester

Musk ready to start Starlink services

Elon Musk, in a tweet after the latest Starlink launch, said that once this batch of 60 satellites are in their correct orbital positions then a test broadband service will start. “We will be able to roll out a fairly wide public beta [service] in northern US & hopefully southern Canada,” Musk said. “Other countries […]

October 8, 2020By Chris Forrester

13th Starlink launch success for SpaceX

Three important rocket launches from Florida’s Space Coast were delayed over the past two weeks prompting Elon Musk, in a Tweet, to admit that further improvements will need to be made to the Falcon-9 rocket system if his SpaceX business has a chance of completing a planned 48-launch schedule in 2021. Musk said he was […]

October 7, 2020By Chris Forrester

SpaceX readies 13th Starlink launch

Bad weather at the Florida launch site has played havoc with SpaceX’s 13th Starlink launch plans over the past 10 days. A new launch date is set for today, October 1st. SpaceX has a launch window that opens at 09.17am EDT for the launch of 60 Starlink craft. Assuming the weather permits the launch this […]

October 1, 2020By Chris Forrester

Analyst: “Starlink will have limitations”

Financial analysts from consultancy firm Cowan have looked at the prospects for Elon Musk’s Starlink mega constellation and the claims that Starlink could serve 485,000 users simultaneously with 100 Mb/s broadband service. It also emerged in a Tweet from Musk that an IPO for the Starlink project is under consideration “but several years in the […]

September 30, 2020By Chris Forrester

SpaceX readies 13th Starlink batch

SpaceX, now that the various hurricanes have passed by, is preparing to launch its 13th batch of Starlink broadband satellites from Florida on September 27th. The launch is currently set for 10.33am Eastern US time on one of its Falcon 9 reusable (‘pre-flown’) rockets, and – as always – subject to the weather and last-minute […]

September 25, 2020By Chris Forrester