SpaceX completes the first Starlink direct-to-cell constellation with launch from California

SpaceX reached a major milestone with the launch of its Starlink internet satellites on Wednesday evening (December 4).

A Falcon 9 rocket launched 20 Starlink spacecraft from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:05 p.m. EST (7:05 p.m. California time; 0305 GMT on December 5) on Wednesday and deposited them near Earth at 61 p.m Orbit (LEO) starting minutes later than planned.

Thirteen of the newly launched satellites are capable of broadcasting their services directly to satellites, completing the first shell of this specialized network.

“The first Starlink satellite direct-to-mobile phone constellation is now complete,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said of X early Thursday morning (December 5). to have internet connection. The bandwidth per beam is only about 10MB, but future constellations will be much more powerful.”