Starlink Satellite System

Starlink is a satellite constellation being constructed by American company SpaceX[1][2] to provide satellite Internet access.[3][4] The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), working in combination with ground transceivers. SpaceX also plans to sell some of the satellites for military,[5] scientific, or exploratory purposes.[6] Concerns have been raised about the long-term danger of space junk resulting from placing thousands of satellites in orbits above 1,000 kilometres (620 mi)[7] and a possible impact on astronomy,[8] although SpaceX is reportedly attempting to solve the latter issue.[example needed][9] The total cost of the decade-long project to design, build, and deploy the constellation was estimated by SpaceX in May 2018 to be about US$10 billion.[10] Product development began in 2015, with the first two prototype test-flight satellites launched in February 2018. A second set of test satellites and the first large deployment of a piece of the constellation occurred on 24 May 2019 UTC when the first 60 operational satellites were launched.[1][11] The SpaceX satellite development facility in Redmond, Washington, houses the Starlink research, development, manufacturing, and on-orbit control operations. As of March 2020, SpaceX is targeting service in the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near-global coverage of the populated world by late 2021 or 2022.[12] However, these are only internal projections and not set dates.