In the wake of the massive geomagnetic storm that stunned global observers, a SpaceX executive shared on X earlier today that the batch of Starlink direct to cell satellites launched just before the storm are now raising their orbits. The latest launch came immediately after a Falcon 9 rocket sent another batch of these satellites to space, and after SpaceX shared that all satellites in orbit had managed to survive the storm. The direct to cell (D2C) satellites have been launched with T-Mobile as part of Starlink and the carrier's partnership to make cellular coverage available in far flung and remote regions.
SpaceX VP Shares Status Update On Latest Starlink Direct to Launch Satellites
Starlink is the world's only mega commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) internet satellite constellation, which offers SpaceX a lot of perks. With its satellite network, the rocket company has provided satellite internet coverage to customers across continents, established a foothold in providing internet coverage to commercial airline passengers, and launched satellite cellular coverage.
On the final front, SpaceX recently started to launch direct to cellular satellites. These spacecraft feature hardware capable of providing coverage to a phone as well. SpaceX created quite a bit of hype in January when it shared the first text messages that had been sent through the Starlink network. These messages were sent by using T-Mobile's spectrum, and they marked the successful pilot of a partnership that has since seen Starlink accelerate the pace of the D2C satellites.
SpaceX's senior director of satellite engineering Ben Longmier, who had shared earlier that the D2C satellites will "ride" out the storm and then boost their orbit from 290 kilometers, has shared fresh details for the Starlink cellular satellites today.
Adding 13 more Direct to Cell sats for a total of 25 now! All 13 are healthy, in the laser mesh, and charging.
Now to ride out this big solar storm and start boosting from 290 km.
Really proud of the SpaceX team for such a smooth launch, sat design, test, production, and… https://t.co/lEsQdMDdAy
— Ben Longmier (@longmier) May 10, 2024
According to him, SpaceX has launched 38 Starlink direct to cellular satellites so far after adding the batch of 13 sent to space today. It also appears that the satellites launched earlier managed to safely ride out the geomagnetic storm, as Longmier outlined that that after the weekend, the spacecraft were performing normally and had started to raise their orbits.
SpaceX also shared the latest details about its constellation health yesterday in an X post. It explained that all Starlink "satellites on-orbit weathered the geomagnetic storm and remain healthy," implying at the time that checkouts for the satellites in parking orbit were ongoing.
13 more Direct to Cell sats launched on this G8-7 mission, bringing the total to 38. The G8-2 DTC sats weathered the solar storm nicely this weekend, all systems nominal, and are raising. https://t.co/nEv4zzdrz2
— Ben Longmier (@longmier) May 14, 2024
The rapid pace of Starlink launches also allowed SpaceX to conduct its 50th launch of the year today. The Falcon 9 is the most heavily flown rocket in the world, and a large portion of its launches are dedicated to the Starlink constellation. SpaceX is gearing up for a couple of years of tough competition if rival satellites can meet the rapid launch cadence of the Falcon 9 and SpaceX's satellite production.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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