In today’s rapidly evolving world, where fast digital connectivity is increasingly seen as essential, SpaceX is making significant strides in delivering ultra-fast internet to the global market.
With Starlink’s promising download speeds of up to 1Gbps, the company is on track to revolutionise internet access worldwide.
This ambitious goal, first envisioned in 2016, has moved one step closer to reality, thanks to the recent successful test flight of SpaceX’s Starship.
On Sunday, SpaceX’s Starship took part in a pivotal test flight, drawing the attention of the aerospace industry.
The test was successful and marked a significant breakthrough, with the booster rocket being successfully caught during its landing phase.
This achievement is a testament to the company’s engineering expertise and brings SpaceX closer to making the world’s most powerful rocket fully reusable.
Michael Nicolls, Vice President of Starlink Engineering, expressed his excitement on Twitter, stating: “The next generation Starlink satellite will launch on Starship and deliver gigabit connectivity anywhere in the world.”
Starlink has long set its sights on achieving gigabit speeds, with aspirations to offer users download rates of up to 10Gbps.
However, since its rollout in the US, Starlink’s internet speeds have generally ranged between 50Mbps and 250Mbps, depending on the area.
To enhance speeds, the company has stated that it requires Starship to deploy its next-generation “V3” Starlink satellites, which are expected to be heavier. The aim is for Starship to carry between 50 and 100 Starlink satellites per launch.
The company recently provided additional information about the V3 satellites.
On Friday, SpaceX submitted a request to the FCC to make several minor yet significant updates to its second-generation Starlink network.
“Together with its companion amendment, this will deliver gigabit speeds, low-latency broadband, and ubiquitous mobile connectivity to all Americans and the billions of people around the world who lack adequate broadband,” the company states in that filing.
This enhancement is anticipated to optimise bandwidth utilisation and facilitate a broader range of services without creating issues related to radio interference, despite possible concerns from competitors.