SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet is now available in one of the most remote regions of the world, Antarctica. National Science Foundation, which funds the U.S. Antarctic Program, said in a tweet; “NSF-supported USAP scientists in #Antarctica are over the moon! Starlink is testing polar service with a newly deployed user terminal at McMurdo Station, increasing bandwidth and connectivity for science support.” In response, the SpaceX Twitter account posted; “Starlink is now on all seven continents! In such a remote location like Antarctica, this capability is enabled by Starlink’s space laser network.”
Starlink is now on all seven continents! In such a remote location like Antarctica, this capability is enabled by Starlink's space laser network https://t.co/c9HX0xrX0u
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 14, 2022
Starlink Satellite to Offer Much Faster Internet
Starlink can offer much faster broadband due to the ‘lower orbits’ of the Starlink satellites. In fact, SpaceX has been given a license to launch 12,000 Starlink and the company has launched more than 3,200 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit. In July, SpaceX sent 46 Starlink satellites to the coldest and remote areas of earth, such as; Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland.
In an effort to serve the users in Antarctica, SpaceX has been launching batches of Starlink satellites to orbit the Earth’s polar regions. Up until now, the polar region has received internet via multiple satellite systems, and researchers used to store data on hard drives for physical transportation. Peter Neff, a researcher from Antarctica, described the internet in the polar region as insufficient, with up to 1,000 people sharing the “equivalent to the connection enjoyed by a typical family of three in the United States.”
SpaceX’s Starship to Launch Hundreds of Satellites
SpaceX’s next-generation launch vehicle, Starship, will be capable of launching hundreds of satellites on a single mission. According to Starship’s user guide, the final version of Starship will have “the capability to transport satellites, payloads, crew, and cargo to a variety of orbits and Earth, Lunar, or Martian landing sites.”
Also read: Breathtaking Starlink Satellites String Sighted in Pakistan
