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SpaceX Starlink becomes first US mega-constellation to gain FCC approval

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7 years ago

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Sans fanfare, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has made SpaceX the first US-based entity authorized to launch and operate a massive broadband internet satellite constellation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The Starlink constellation authorization comes a bit less than five weeks after SpaceX launched its first two prototype communications satellites as co-passengers with the Spanish PAZ imaging satellite. CEO Elon Musk confirmed that they had safely made it to orbit and were communication with ground control in Hawthorne, CA, but SpaceX’s lips have remained sealed beyond Musk’s brief mention.

Unofficially, sources in the loop were told that Musk forwarded a memo to all hands soon after launch, confirming that the Starlink prototypes had successfully sent their “Hello, world” message to ground control. In the month since launch, the Tintin twins appear to have both raised their orbits slightly, suggesting that their propulsion systems were/are at least partially functional. Per FCC licenses for the experimental satellites, the Tintins are expected to eventually raise their orbits from 500km to approximately 1100km over the course of testing, maneuvering that would require their SpaceX-designed ion propulsion modules to function properly.

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Gwynne Shotwell, COO of SpaceX, gave an official statement on the FCC’s authorization of Starlink, reiterating the company’s awareness of a huge amount of work ahead of any operational constellation.

“We appreciate the FCC’s thorough review and approval of SpaceX’s constellation license. Although we still have much to do with this complex undertaking, this is an important step toward SpaceX building a next-generation satellite network that can link the globe with reliable and affordable broadband service, especially reaching those who are not yet connected.”

As the SpaceX’s first foray into true electric propulsion and dedicated communications satellites, not to mention an array of cutting-edge technologies (optical/laser-based interlinks, advanced antenna tech, and more) presumed to be on board, it’s fair to assume that the public silence is indicative of a heads-down work ethic while Starlink engineers and technicians get a handle on the tasks before them and learn volumes about the manufacture and operation of advanced satellites. If they were to occur, failures or serious problems with these first two prototypes would, in fact, benefit SpaceX and strengthen all future prototype testing efforts, ultimately resulting in a more successful final product and happier customers in the long term.

SpaceX’s first two Starlink prototype satellites are pictured here before their inaugural launch, showing off a thoroughly utilitarian bus and several advanced components. (SpaceX)

Although the FCC’s approval carries with it a number of conditional requirements of SpaceX, it is all but guaranteed that SpaceX will be able to satisfy those conditions and ensure that Starlink remains authorized, barring any significant and unforeseen legal challenges. Of those conditions, the most significant condition of note relates to a request for additional information from SpaceX on the company’s end-of-life and deorbit practices in order to guarantee that the constellation’s 4,000+ satellites do not become a space debris risk. The most serious threat to Starlink as it stands proposed today is the FCC’s decision to deny SpaceX a waiver for the requirement that 50% of any given LEO internet constellation must be launched six years after approval. In the case of the 4400+ satellite Starlink constellation, this would require SpaceX to launch more than 30 satellites a month for every month between now and March of 2024. Thankfully, the FCC approval acknowledges that it will reconsider SpaceX’s request for a waiver of this requirement in the future, once the design of Starlink has been finalized. 

Correction: While the FCC’s final license grant appeared to deny a waiver requested by SpaceX for the requirement of launching 50% of the constellation within six years of licensing, the FCC has in fact already reconsidered this requirement [PDF] for uniquely large constellations out of its sheer impracticality. SpaceX should thus have some added flexibility in the pace of its deployment of Starlink.

Limited internet service from SpaceX’s Starlink constellation is not expected to begin before 2020 at the earliest. The FCC’s announcement can be read in the news release here [PDF]  or in the full application approval here [PDF].

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5-WCwZ4cSE

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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SpaceX’s Starlink dish with Gigabit Speeds leaves EU scrambling to catch up

SpaceX is preparing to launch a gigabit Starlink dish. Meanwhile, Europe is still searching for a Starlink alternative.

Published

27 minutes ago

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March 25, 2025

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Spacex-starlink-dish-gigabit-speed-vs-europe
(Credit: Starlink)

SpaceX is preparing to release a Starlink dish with gigabit speeds, likely leaving the European Union scrambling to catch up.

During a webinar for Starlink resellers, SpaceX mentioned the development of a new Starlink dish that would offer customers gigabit internet speeds. The new Starlink dish is expected to boost current download speeds of around 200 Mbps.

“Next generation, we’ll have smaller beams, more capacity per beam, lower latency,” noted SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell in 2024. She teased that Starlink speeds would reach as high as 2 gigabits with the next-generation dish.

Starlink’s launch in Italy paused until Elon Musk hate ends

EU plays catch up with SpaceX’s Starlink

While SpaceX prepares to provide customers with gigabit speeds, the European Union is still trying to catch up to Starlink’s current internet services.

The Foreign Minister of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, accused Elon Musk of threatening to cut off Ukraine’s access to Starlink. The Polish Minister’s accusation came after Musk pointed out that Ukraine’s front line would collapse without Starlink.

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Sikorski interpreted Musk’s words as a threat. Musk later issued a statement saying he would “never” cut Starlink services to Ukraine.

Despite Musk’s statement, the EU is considering alternatives to SpaceX’s Starlink. It will be difficult, given that the EU currently has no companies that can match SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.

The closest company in Europe to SpaceX’s Starlink is Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation, which has around 650 satellites in lower earth orbit. In comparison, SpaceX reported having approximately 6,750 satellites in the Starlink constellation as of February 2025.

Even if Europe managed to match SpaceX’s current Starlink constellation, having Ukraine switch from one service to another would be complicated. Multiple countries are paying for Ukraine’s Starlink services, including the United States and Poland. On top of that, each country isn’t paying the same amount–some seem to be paying more than others.

In general, it doesn’t seem like Elon Musk can cut Ukraine’s access to Starlink on a whim.

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Starlink Gigabit Dish Pending

SpaceX has a few boxes to check before releasing the Starlink gigabit dish. It will need to upgrade its Starlink constellation to harness a broader range of radio spectrum. But first, SpaceX must get clearance from the FCC to implement the upgrades.

PC Mag speculates that SpaceX could launch the Starlink gigabit dish later this year. The new dish’s release will depend on if SpaceX’s Starship can successfully deploy third-generation V3 Starlink satellites.

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SpaceX rescue mission for stranded ISS astronauts nears end — Here’s when they’ll return home

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1 week ago

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March 17, 2025

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is ready to bring home Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two astronauts that have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months.

Last week, SpaceX launched its Crew-10 mission, which would dock onto the ISS late Saturday night and be the two astronauts’ ride home. Now, the end is in sight, and it appears both NASA and SpaceX are planning to have the two home this week, perhaps earlier than expected.

SpaceX readies to rescue astronauts from International Space Station

The agency and the company have announced that Dragon will autonomously undock from the ISS on Tuesday at 1:05 a.m. ET and should re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splashdown off the Florida coast about 17 hours later.

SpaceX said:

“SpaceX and NASA are targeting Tuesday, March 18 at 1:05 a.m. ET for Dragon to autonomously undock from the International Space Station. After performing a series of departure burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering maneuvers, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of Florida approximately 17 hours later the same day.”

Crew-9 astronaut Nick Hague will be alongside Williams and Wilmore on the flight home, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Hague and Gorbunov have been in space since Saturday, September 28.

SpaceX was tasked with bringing Wilmore and Williams home after the Boeing Starliner that sent them there was determined not to be suitable for their return.

A report from the New York Post in late August said that Boeing employees routinely made fun of SpaceX workers, only for the company to bail them out:

SpaceX bails out Boeing and employees are reportedly ‘humiliated’

Crew-10 will bring the astronauts home, ending an extensive and unscheduled stay in space.

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SpaceX readies to rescue astronauts from International Space Station

Published

2 weeks ago

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March 14, 2025

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is readying to launch the Crew-10 mission this evening, which will bring home U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months.

SpaceX is working alongside NASA to bring the two astronauts home, and all systems and weather conditions are looking ideal to launch the mission this evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Boeing was originally tasked with the rescue mission.

The company sent a Starliner aircraft to the ISS in late September in an effort to bring Williams and Wilmore home. However, malfunctioning thrusters and other issues on the Starliner aircraft prevented NASA from giving the green light to the astronauts to board and come home.

SpaceX was then tasked with bringing the two home, and it appears they will be on their way shortly.

The launch was intended to occur on Wednesday, but a last-minute problem with the rocket’s ground systems forced SpaceX and NASA to delay until at least Friday. Things are looking more ideal for a launch this evening.

The launch is targeted for 7:03 p.m. ET, but another backup opportunity is available tomorrow, March 15, at 6:41 p.m.

SpaceX writes about the Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the mission:

“The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew NASA’s Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions to and from the space station. This will be the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched the SES 03b mPOWER-e mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.”

The mission will not only aim to bring the two astronauts who have been stranded for nine months home, but it will also conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

If Crew-10 launches at the planned time this evening, it will dock to the ISS at 11:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

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