Starlink is becoming essential to the world; understand

Ricky Joseph

10-04-2023 Science
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Ricky Joseph

Starlink is becoming essential to the world. Right now, more than 2,000 Starlink satellites are orbiting the Earth. I'm guessing you've never heard of them. Starlink is a network of satellites created by SpaceX, the space company of billionaire Elon Musk - known primarily for SpaceX's advances in private space exploration and the electric car advancements ofTesla.

Starlink's mission is communication. The project was created with the intention of taking broadband internet to the entire planet. With almost 20,000 satellites as a target, the company will have a huge coverage of the planet, providing internet to the most remote locations on planet Earth.

In 2018 the first tests began, with just two satellites. Since 2019 SpaceX has been launching its satellites - launching about a few dozen of them on each flight. The first batch, launched in 2019, contained 60 satellites. Today, Starlink is becoming essential to the rapidly evolving world.

Criticism

Early on in the project, there was a lot of criticism from around the world for one reason in particular: the satellites are too bright and disruptive to observation - even more so when the network is at its peak. Starlink has already been the subject of a lot of interference in sky images.

The scratches in the image are Starlink satellites. Image: CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/DECam DELVE Survey

An important point of the whole story, is that the network is still in its beginning. That is, the amount of satellites will increase.

However, Starlink's own website puts the project as a "leader in space sustainability. According to the website, "Starlink not only leads the industry in innovations to reduce satellite glare, but also the reduction of debris in orbit - meeting or exceeding all regulatory and industry standards."

However, just as nothing is entirely good, there is also nothing that is entirely bad. Starlink is becoming essential to the world.

Tonga is a small country in Oceania. In early 2022, a tsunami and volcanic eruption devastated the archipelago. The natural disaster left many areas without internet access, an essential medium today. So SpaceX provided 50 terminals to re-establish internet there via Starlink.

Starlink is becoming essential to the world. Terminal receiving data from Starlink. Image: Tim Reckmann

"It is quite paradoxical that a devastating volcanic eruption and a tsunami bring to our shores the latest in satellite and communications technology," Siaosi Sovaleni, Tonga's prime minister, said in a speech at the time of the event, according to Reuters.

In Brazil, the project also operates. In May 2022, Musk announced a partnership with the Brazilian government to bring internet to remote areas in the Amazon and provide internet to 19,000 schools without internet access to remote rural areas. This specific case, however, generated a controversy for the lack of details, such as disclosure of information about the contract or values. Elon Musk @elonmusk Super excited to be in Brazil for launch of Starlink for 19,000 unconnected schools in rural areas & environmental monitoring of Amazon! 🇧🇷 🌳 🛰 ♥️ 3:40 PM - May 20, 2022 585.2K 52.6K

Tweet from Elon Musk after his visit to Brazil.

To contract Starlink in Brazil for residential use, it's still a bit expensive: a cost of 2000 reais with the necessary hardware, plus a monthly cost of 230 reais. However, between subsidies around the world and project development, this value tends to fall.

Connections on the go

One of Starlink's missions is also to connect people on ships to the Internet. This is useful, as it brings high-speed connections to platforms and ships in the middle of the sea, optimizing communication and usable tools. Through the website, it is already possible to contract the Internet service for ships, offshore platforms and yachts.

Starlink is becoming essential to the world. Earth view from one of the network's satellites.Image: SpaceX

In air travel the service also proves useful. In 2020, the United States Air Force used Starlink in a military exercise. They were able, on military aircraft, to achieve relatively high internet speeds.

War Connection

One of Starlink's most recent highlights is its application in the current war in Ukraine. The war accelerated a deal already underway to use the network in the country. According to Smithsonian Magazine, an upgrade allowed terminals receiving the internet to be powered by those cigarette lighters that act as electrical outlets in cars.

Today, Starlink plays a major role for the Ukrainian military - after all, nothing else gets done these days without the Internet. Starlink is becoming essential to the world and that trend doesn't seem to be changing.

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Ricky Joseph is a seeker of knowledge. He firmly believes that through understanding the world around us, we can work to better ourselves and our society as a whole. As such, he has made it his life's mission to learn as much as he can about the world and its inhabitants. Joseph has worked in many different fields, all with the aim of furthering his knowledge. He has been a teacher, a soldier, and a businessman - but his true passion lies in research. He currently works as a research scientist for a major pharmaceutical company, where he is dedicated to finding new treatments for diseases that have long been considered incurable. Through diligence and hard work, Ricky Joseph has become one of the foremost experts on pharmacology and medicinal chemistry in the world. His name is known by scientists everywhere, and his work continues to improve the lives of millions.