People in southern England saw bright lights streaking across the night sky on Sunday, and although the Orionid meteor shower peaked this weekend, it was something else.
These slow-moving lights were actually Starlink satellites launched into low Earth orbit by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
What is Starlink?
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX that aims to provide internet access to people around the world – even in the most rural areas.
What sets it apart from the fiber and broadband internet connections most commonly used in the UK is that it does not rely on terrestrial infrastructure, but instead sends data from its fleet of satellites. This means that remote areas that typically struggle with internet connectivity can be provided with internet access.
SpaceX currently has about 5,000 of these satellites orbit the Earth.
The Starlink website states: “Most satellite Internet services are provided by individual geostationary satellites orbiting the planet at a distance of 35,786 kilometers. As a result, round-trip time between the user and the satellite (also called latency) is high, making it nearly impossible to support streaming, online gaming, video calling, or other high-data-rate activities.
“Starlink is a constellation of thousands of satellites orbiting a planet much closer to Earth, about 550 kilometers away, spanning the entire globe. Because Starlink satellites are in low Earth orbit, latency is significantly lower: about 25 ms versus 600+ ms.”
Starlink provided internet to Ukraine during the Russian invasion. However, this was not without controversy.
Earlier this year, according to New Yorker Reporting Musk’s growing power, he withdrew Starlink communications services from the front lines of the war, causing casualties in Ukraine and forcing them to retreat.
Former US Deputy Defense Secretary Colin Kahl said: “He became nervous because Starlink’s participation in Russia was increasingly seen as a way to help Ukraine’s war effort, and he was looking for a way to assuage Russian concerns.”
Starlink is also controversial among astronomers, who fear the satellites will only add to an already crowded orbital environment and could disrupt astronomical observations.
Is Starlink available in the UK?
Starlink is available in the UK from 2021, however it is expensive and rarely worth considering over traditional broadband providers given UK coverage.
Basic equipment starts from £449, but can also be rented for £15 per month.
The Standard plan will then cost an extra £75 per month, with the Priority plan increasing to £180, which offers faster download and upload speeds.
Speeds of between 100Mbps and 230Mbps are currently on offer in the UK, according to the Starlink website, which is comparable to the speeds of many fiber broadband providers.
How can I see Starlink satellites?
Starlink has carried out several satellite launches over the past week, meaning they should remain visible in UK skies for the next few days.
Find the Starlink website Here you can enter a location or even exact coordinates and find out when the satellites will be visible next. You will also learn exactly where to look in the sky.
In London, for example, satellites will soon be visible. Thursday, October 26, 18:26..
Source: I News
With a background in journalism and a passion for technology, I am an experienced writer and editor. As an author at 24 News Reporter, I specialize in writing about the latest news and developments within the tech industry. My work has been featured on various publications including Wired Magazine and Engadget.