Elon Musk's revolutionary space exploration giant, SpaceX filed an amendment with the United States FCC (Federal Communications Commission) on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 that included details of its plans for the Starlink "Gen2 System."
In the filing, SpaceX wrote, "The Gen2 System was designed to complement the first-generation constellation SpaceX is currently deploying. While the original constellation provides unprecedented capacity for a satellite system, the demand for more broadband continues to grow unabated and the need for user connectivity has never been more important."
SpaceX plans to use its massive Starship rocket to deliver Gen2 into orbit
The Starlink service is still in beta, but has seen a recent spike as it nears the 100,000 user mark. Starlink is currently available in 11 countries.
To date, Starlink has launched 1,740 Starlink satellites with the first launches beginning in November 2019. Gen2 is planned to boost that number to 30,000 in total.
Gen2 aims to spread new satellites more evenly across up to 12 inclined orbits in order to provide denser polar coverage for rural subscribers, national security organizations, and first responders. It is also intended to make the network's performance more consistent.
“By targeting multiple inclinations, these revised orbital parameters will more evenly distribute capacity by latitude ensuring better, more consistent global coverage,” SpaceX said in the FCC filing.
Gen2 satellites are larger and will generate more power than their first-generation predecessors, but SpaceX stated that their analysis shows that Gen2 would not interfere with other constellations or increase the risk of debris-causing collisions in space.
With the volume of breaking news surrounding the Starlink service, it is fair to hope that global coverage and the end of Beta are soon to come. At this time, Starlink is only available to a limited number of users per coverage area, and orders are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you are excited to get Starlink up and running when it's available in your area, be sure to visit Starlink's website and get on this list as soon as possible.
Or maybe you can win one for free at the Warp Space Summit!
That's right. One lucky Premium Supporter attending the Warp Space Summit will win a Starlink! The winner will be drawn on September 19, and that person will receive their Starlink kit as soon as it becomes available in the area they live.
To enter the drawing, all you have to do is join us as a Premium Supporter and receive your ticket to attend the Warp Space Summit on September 19, either live in Linkoping, Sweden, or digitally live-streamed on Hopin.
There is a lot to be excited about with Starlink, and I have documented my personal journey with the service, starting on the very first day I received the dish.
You can check out that journey below and be sure to follow Warp Institute on YouTube to stay up to date with future releases.
