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SpaceX could begin beta testing of its global satellite internet program Starlink in a few months, according to CEO Elon Musk.
in a cheep This week, Musk revealed that Starlink’s private beta will begin in approximately three months, and that the public beta will arrive in approximately six months.
Private beta starts in ~ 3 months, public beta in ~ 6 months, starting at high latitudes
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2020
He stipulated that the beta would be “starting at high latitudes.” This probably covers the United States and Canada, and Musk also stated that this included Germany. Eventually, the plan is to roll out the service worldwide.
Musk did not reveal any further details on what the beta program will entail, but people have speculated that the private beta will be only for Tesla employees and their families, similar to the way Tesla proves its beta software is based first. in employees’ cars, before releasing them to the public.
If all goes well during this early private beta period, the public beta will likely make the service available to a limited number of members of the public in particular locations. With this new technology, there are likely to be many issues and glitches to fix during the beta period.
The announcement of the details of the beta program came after the successful launch of another 60 Starlink satellites this week, which were launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This brings the total number of operational satellites to 420, which is an important milestone as it surpasses the 400-satellite mark SpaceX wanted to achieve to begin testing its network.
However, that doesn’t mean the company has finished launching Starlink satellites, as it has another launch planned for early May. In total, about 720 satellites will be required to provide global broadband coverage.
As attractive as the idea of global broadband is, especially in rural or hard-to-reach areas that currently have few internet options available, the Starlink project has been controversial. Astronomers have expressed concern that satellites interfere with their observations, especially during the launch period.
Projects like Starlink are more concerning than regular satellite launches, as they are a type called constellation satellites, in which large numbers of satellites operate in unison. This means that they cause more interference than a single satellite. SpaceX is working on solutions to this problem, such as the use of a special anti-reflective coating on satellites, but the problem has not yet been solved.
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