SpaceX has reached a significant milestone in its ambitious internet-from-space project, Starlink. The company successfully launched its 200th Starlink mission on Wednesday, sending 23 new satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch, which took place from Florida, marks a major step forward for Starlink, which currently provides high-speed internet to over 4 million users around the world.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, celebrated the achievement on X (formerly Twitter), commending the SpaceX team for their continued success. With this launch, SpaceX has now launched a total of over 7,200 Starlink satellites into space, with over 6,500 of them currently operational, according to data from astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
But SpaceX isn’t stopping there. The company has its sights set on even faster speeds and increased bandwidth with a next-generation fleet of Starlink satellites. These new satellites, which will be significantly larger and can only be launched by SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, are designed to deliver a tenfold increase in internet speeds due to their planned lower orbital altitude, leading to reduced latency.
While the current generation of Starlink satellites are being launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, Starship is still under development and has yet to carry any payload to space. SpaceX is actively seeking permits from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deploy these next-generation satellites closer to Earth, paving the way for even more reliable and high-speed internet access for its growing user base.
This landmark 200th launch further solidifies SpaceX’s commitment to expanding internet access around the globe and pushes the company closer to its goal of revolutionizing connectivity with its ambitious Starlink project. As SpaceX continues to innovate and develop its technology, the future of internet access seems to be taking shape amongst the stars.
