Starlink is SpaceX’s answer to providing global, high-speed internet coverage using a network of thousands of satellites buzzing around the planet in a region known as low Earth orbit (LEO), about 342 miles above the Earth’s surface. SpaceX launched its first batch of Starlink satellites back in 2019, and since then, adoption of the service has ballooned. Starlink now has over 2 million active customers and is available on all 7 continents and in over 60 countries. Starlink has been praised for its ability to connect remote parts of the world that would otherwise not have access to reliable internet. The service has also become indispensable in areas hit by natural disasters, and, more recently, during times of war, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war. But Starlink’s growing influence is garnering condemnation from some who say that SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk is meddling in geopolitics, while the scientific community is raising alarms of the effect of thousands of satellites on radio and optical astronomy.

Chapters:
00:00 - 03:03 Intro
03:03 - 06:36 Behind Starlink’s growth
06:36 - 10:33 Starlink and geopolitics
10:33 - 15:35 Scientific concerns
15:35 - 18:38 Future

Produced and Edited by: Magdalena Petrova
Animation: Mallory Brangan
Supervising Producer: Jeniece Pettitt
Editorial Support: Michael Sheetz
Additional Footage: Getty Images

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How Elon Musk’s Starlink Is Bringing In Billions For SpaceX