Who says that Elon Musk does not dare to dream big? Thanks to the company SpaceX, which Musk founded, he currently owns nearly two-thirds of all currently active satellites orbiting the Earth.
The Starlink Explosion
The giant behind this satellite coup is none else but Starlink, an Internet satellite constellation project of SpaceX. Starlink can be described as an interstellar freeway as it is currently delivering internet connection to even the hard-to-reach areas of the world. In 2019, SpaceX started launching Starlink satellites, and every day since, they’ve been launching three of them.
More recently, Starlink achieved another significant achievement with the deployment of 7,000 satellites. The website called CelesTrak has recorded that 6,370 of these satellites are still operational while others indicate that there are still several hundred satellites that have been deorbited or have stopped functioning. That number is six times higher than what it was just three years ago.
How Starlink Towers Over Its Rivals
For instance, OneWeb, a UK-based company that is considered to be the main rival of SpaceX’s Starlink, has a far way to go. OneWeb at this moment has a significantly lower number of satellites compared to SpaceX with only around ten satellites.
What’s more intriguing is that OneWeb had to rely on SpaceX rockets for launching its satellites since it canceled the partnership with Russia’s Soyuz after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Musk’s Global Reach
Starlink has already established its presence across different regions. It operates in about 102 countries and has a customer base of over 3 million. Those with $300 for the dish and a monthly subscription fee are today receiving high speed internet across the world. With these satellites, you can watch cat videos on the internet irrespective of whether you are in a city or in a remote village.
SpaceX isn’t stopping there. The firm aims to put up to forty-two thousand satellites in orbit for each and every bit and piece of the earth, including the Himalayas and the Amazon region. Well, almost every corner. Some countries, for instance, North Korea and China do not appear in the list due to limited internet access and international sanctions on trade.
The Power of Elon Musk
As SpaceX continues to grow its satellite empire, some people are starting to ask: Is it safe for one person to have this much power over so much of the global communication network? First of all, Musk is much more than just a space tycoon. Notably, he is associated with giant companies such as Tesla and X (previously Twitter), which shows that he is involved in many businesses. Indeed, Musk himself actively shared this opinion on Twitter, stating that between Tesla, Starlink, and X, he may have more real-time data on a global scale in his head than anyone else in the world.
More recently, Musk’s power has reared its head in Brazil where politicians have decided to ban X in the country. At the start of 2021, Starlink opened the platform for its customers in the country; however, they had to retreat and obey the blocking order. Rarely does one see a tech company in the global limelight challenging governments but with Musk it has become a daily routine.
Conclusion
Musk being so actively involved in launching satellites into space, there might be even more satellites ‘ruling the night sky.’ He is already laying out the foundation for Starlink which will connect humanity regardless of their location on earth or even in space if need be.
So next time you’re looking up at the stars, remember: It has moved from a string of lights here and there to a full-fledged phenomenon. I wonder if one of Musk’s satellites is cruising overhead right now to make sure your internet works, and maybe to help stream your show.
