Aerospace
SpaceX’s satellite internet service is coming to planes
SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink will soon be accessible aboard some planes
With the official launch of Starlink Aviation next year, SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink will soon be accessible aboard some planes, the firm has revealed. According to the company, the service would provide internet speeds of up to 350 Mbps to any aircraft fitted with its Aero Terminal. This speed is sufficient for video calls, online gaming, and “other high data rate activities.
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According to SpaceX’s website, its internet connections will be accessible during taxi, takeoff, flight over land and ocean, and landing, with latency as low as 20ms. An FAQ states that “Starlink Aviation will offer worldwide coverage.” As opposed to geo-stationary satellites, which are static, low-earth orbit satellites are always overhead or close to deliver a powerful signal at high latitudes and in polar regions. Beginning in mid-2023, deliveries are anticipated.
Starlink Aviation was able to provide onboard internet at a speed of 100Mbps. The test was carried out by JSX, which declared in April that it will be among the first airlines to use the in-flight internet service, on a route from Burbank to San José, California.
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In September, JSX CEO Alex Wilcox stated that he anticipated making it available to passengers this month and having the technology installed on every aircraft operated by the company by the end of the year. In April, Hawaiian Airlines also announced a deal with Starlink, with installation beginning the next year.
The goal of SpaceX’s Starlink project is to create a worldwide, interconnected network of satellites that will provide high-speed internet. Nearly 3,500 Starlink satellites have been sent into orbit by SpaceX, and as of June, the service has about 500,000 subscribers. With $2 billion raised just this year, the business has been rapidly raising funds to support the construction of both Starlink and its next-generation rocket Starship.
