SpaceX Will Launch First of Its 11,925 Internet Satellites

With the spotlight on SpaceX’s Falcon heavy mission, slowly fading away, the SpaceX enterprise is getting back to business with the Falcon 9 launch this Saturday.

This weekend, SpaceX will be sending up an Earth-observation satellite called Paz for Spain. The rocket will have two additional satellites along with it, the prototype probes called Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b, to test out the technology needed to beam down internet from space.

The Elon Musk founded SpaceX hopes to launch 4,425 interlinked broadband internet satellites into orbit some 700-800 miles above Earth, plus another 7,500 into lower orbits.

The system called Starlink is set to create a giant constellation of 11,925 satellites that will orbit above Earth and will transmit internet to antenna receivers on the earth.

The telecommunication arena is the next “gold rush”, and SpaceX expects, Starlink to bring in a lot of cash. The company aims to establish fast, pervasive and affordable internet access.

The primary funders of SpaceX are Google, which once wanted to extend into the satellite-based network, but then invested a $1bn three years ago in SpaceX.

As more people enter the online world and depend on it, the battle for better internet connection increases. This is evident since SpaceX’s application for approval to test a satellite internet service from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is one of 12 made to the US regulators.