- SpaceX has put into orbit hundreds of its Starlink satellites that broadcast the internet since 2019.
- On Tuesday, a university student tweeted the first official SpaceX photos of satellite dishes, or user terminals, that will connect subscribers to the web.
- Company founder Elon Musk described the terminals as “UFOs on a stick” and confirmed their authenticity as SpaceX works to start a private beta test of the Internet service this summer.
- A review of the public source code for Starlink.com by Business Insider revealed numerous potential details about the upcoming beta program.
- Beta users may have to pay only $ 1 for a Starlink user terminal and an Internet service, but they may need to install the devices themselves, and cannot publicly discuss their participation in the trial program.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
Hidden in the code of a SpaceX website are the first official satellite dish images that will connect prospective subscribers to Starlink, a fleet of low-flying satellites that broadcast the Internet.
Additionally, a review of the site’s code by Business Insider yielded numerous credible details on how an upcoming Starlink beta test might work.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk previously described satellite dishes, or user terminals, as a “UFO on a stick.” Although the company has not yet formally shared images of the terminals, fans have searched for Starlink test sites listed in US regulatory documents and have taken pictures of prototype antennas.
In this case, Vivien Hantusch, a student at the Peter Behrens School of the Arts (who often interacts with Musk on Twitter), found links to official images in the public source code of the Starlink website.
“The UFO on a stick, also known as Starlink’s user terminal, looks beautiful,” Hantusch wrote Tuesday night, sharing two cropped images.
His posts prompted Business Insider to conduct a more extensive review of the site’s code, which contained what appear to be in-depth details of the Starlink beta program.
Musk responded to the tweet with details he has shared before about the terminals.
“The Starlink terminal has motors to self-orient for an optimal viewing angle. No expert installer is required. Just plug it in and give it a clear view of the sky,” said Musk. “It can be in the garden, on the roof, on the table, almost anywhere, as long as you have a wide view of the sky.”
SpaceX is preparing to launch a private beta for Starlink this summer and a more public user trial program later this year. To that end, the company sent emails Monday to Starlink beta applicants requesting addresses of where they would like to receive the service.
A Business Insider review of the public source code for Starlink.com suggests that SpaceX is very close to finishing a website for beta testers. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Being a Starlink beta tester can cost $ 1 a month
Company founder Elon Musk called these user terminals “UFOs on a stick,” and they are designed to connect to the Internet through a fleet of Starlink’s orbiting satellites.
SpaceX
During our code review, Business Insider discovered a JavaScript file that appears to be driving a future page for beta guests.
The code provides an image of how the page would probably work, but it could change before the start.
The file includes a link to another apparent user terminal image, above. It also has programming for potential users to enter a non-transferable participation code and create an account.
More importantly, there are approximately 2,000 words in the file that seem to establish a privacy policy, terms of service, and the fee to participate in “Starlink Beta” – $ 1 per month.
(The text below in the file specifies an initial charge of $ 3, followed by a monthly charge of $ 2 thereafter.)
The Starlink website file reads: “These charges are not a fee for Starlink hardware or services, but are requested exclusively to allow testing of our ordering and billing systems as part of this beta program.”
“SpaceX is temporarily loaning you the hardware and providing the Internet services for free. The $ 1 will be charged 30 days after your hardware is shipped.”
Also in the file is a text that seems to explain the rationale for the test program:
“Starlink Beta is an opportunity to be one of the first users of SpaceX’s Internet satellite system. The purpose of Starlink Beta is to gather feedback to help us make decisions on the best way to implement the system for the official launch of Starlink.
“By design, the beta experience will be imperfect. Our goal is to incorporate feedback from a variety of users to ensure we build the best possible satellite broadband Internet system.”
The following are frequently asked questions that extend the actual performance of the beta program.
An answer to a “who can participate” question says that “Starlink Beta will begin in the northern United States and lower Canada, with those living in rural and / or remote communities in the Washington state area.” However, being in those locations will not guarantee participation, as SpaceX is also considering how many participants there are in a given area.
Importantly, potential beta testers will also need a clear view of the northern sky:
“Why do I need a clear view of the northern sky to be a beta tester? The Starlink system currently consists of almost 600 satellites that orbit the Earth and can provide Internet services in a very specific range: between 44 and 52 degrees north latitude.
“Your Starlink dish requires a clear view of the Northern sky in order to communicate with Starlink satellites. Without the clear view, the Starlink dish cannot make a good connection and your service will be extremely poor.”
Participants shouldn’t expect a perfect web connection, the file indicates, as SpaceX’s work to improve the satellite network can cause intermittent outages.
“When connected, the quality of your service will be high, but your connection will not be consistent,” the file says. “This means that it can support streaming video with some buffering, but it’s probably not suitable for gaming or business purposes.”
Users who complete the registration process will be able to request a “Starlink Kit” and, once they do, they will receive an order confirmation page, according to the code.
“Your Starlink Kit will arrive via FedEx pre-assembled with a Starlink dish, router, power supply, and mount depending on your housing type,” the file says.
Near the end of the FAQ there are more details on SpaceX’s technical argument for creating the Starlink Internet service:
“How does Starlink internet work? Starlink will offer high-speed broadband Internet worldwide with a large constellation of relatively small but advanced satellites. Satellite Internet works by sending information through the vacuum of space, where it travels almost 50% faster than on a fiber optic cable.
“Most satellite internet services come from single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet about 35,000 km, covering a fixed region of Earth. Starlink, on the other hand, is a constellation of multiple satellites orbiting the planet much lower about 550 km and covers the whole world.
“Because the satellites are in a low orbit, the round-trip data time between the user and the satellite, also known as latency, is much less than with geostationary-orbiting satellites. This enables Starlink to offer services such as online games that are generally not possible on other satellite broadband systems. “
Finally, the text in the file says that beta testers who want to cancel can do so “at any time”.
But the first rule of Starlink Beta is not to talk about Starlink Beta
SpaceX’s Starlink-8 mission delivered an ninth batch of internet-transmitting satellites into orbit on June 13, 2020, while leaving a stunning blue rainbow cloud in the skies off the Florida coast.
SpaceX via Twitter
However, the terms and conditions established in the text make it clear that the program is not one that you can tell anyone about, since each evaluator must sign a confidentiality agreement.
“You are provided early access to Starlink Services. Starlink Services and details such as internet speeds, uptime, coverage and other performance specifications are confidential and exclusive to SpaceX,” the file says.
“You may NOT discuss your participation in the Beta Program online or with outsiders, unless they are SpaceX employees.”
The file goes on and adds: “You should not share anything on social media about the Starlink Services or the Beta Program. This applies not only to public forums, but also to private accounts and restricted groups.
“Do not provide access or information about the Starlink Services to the media or allow third parties to take photos of any part of the Starlink Kit.”
Over the course of 8 weeks, the file says, evaluators can be expected to “spend an average of 30 minutes to 1 hour per day testing the Starlink Services and providing feedback periodically,” including surveys, emails, and calls with SpaceX employees. .
Furthermore, SpaceX also seems to want testers to install their own kits. This may be to test the ease of mounting an advanced satellite dish to a ceiling or wall, but perhaps also to protect the trade secrets of curious local workers (who might post photos or descriptions of the technology).
“You are responsible for installing the Starlink Kit. Do not allow third parties, or those not associated with SpaceX, to access or install the Starlink Kit unless you obtain an approval form [sic] SpaceX, “says the text from the file.
Doing anything illegal with a Starlink web connection will not be tolerated, according to the SpaceX file, and users who do not return the equipment within 30 days of SpaceX’s request will apparently charge a “computer fee.”
Although that fee is not specified, it could be significant: the phased array antenna within each user terminal can cost more than $ 1,000, according to some industry analysts.
Jake Swearingen and Samir Yahyazade contributed to this story.
Do you have an insider story or information to share about the space flight industry? Send Dave Mosher an email to [email protected] or a direct Twitter message to @davemosher. Safer communication options are listed here.
