Science & Tech

by John Dawson
Post Date:
September 8, 2022 Issue Date:
September 24, 2022

Space connections

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

BY THE NUMBERS | SpaceX’s vision for broadband internet gets off the ground

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53

The number of Starlink satellites that private rocket company SpaceX launched into orbit on Aug. 19. SpaceX says it’s building a broadband network that will eventually be able to deliver internet connections almost anywhere on Earth via roughly 42,000 satellites.

340 miles

The altitude of Starlink satellites, a relatively low orbit that will allow them to fall back to Earth at the end of their lifespan.

2,378

The number of operational Starlink satellites in Earth’s orbit as of Aug. 29, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who tracks Starlink’s progress on his website.

$110

The current monthly charge for Starlink broadband service, in addition to an up-front $599 equipment fee.

400,000

The number of subscribers Starlink claimed earlier this year across 36 countries.