Do you know the connection between the internet you use and Starlink? Starlink is part of Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX and it is a type of internet that comes from satellites in space, so no underground cables are used like it happens with regular internet. Right now, they are building a new version of their satellites — called third-generation satellites — that are way faster and have almost no lag.

Once these new satellites are up and running, you will be able to stream videos, play games online, and surf the web a lot quicker — even in places where the internet is usually slow or unreliable. They’re planning to launch them using a massive rocket called Starship around 2026. But for now, they’re still using their current rocket, Falcon 9, to get the job done. Let’s learn more about these Starlink satellites.

It’s not just Starlink doing this

There is another satellite internet project called Project Kuiper coming from Amazon. The aim of this project is the same as Starlink: trying to reach places that don’t have good service right now — like the countryside, small towns, or anywhere far from big cities.

What makes these new satellites so cool?

The new Starlink satellites are able to download stuff at over 1 terabit per second, and upload speeds can go over 200 gigabits per second, in case you don’t know about these terms this is super fast. Basically, that means a significant amount of information can travel extremely quickly between space and Earth and you will be able to enjoy your internet usage in a better way.

Launching of these new satellites?

SpaceX is planning on using their giant reusable rocket called Starship to launch the new satellites. It is way bigger than the rocket they are currently using, Falcon 9, and it can also carry a lot more satellites at once — which helps save money. They expect to start using Starship by 2026, but there’s a bit of a catch. Some of the test launches haven’t gone as well as they should have. If you are wondering what happened… a few rockets exploded… So for now, the idea is using Falcon 9 if Starship is not ready in time.

Starlink now

Right now, there are already over 7,800 Starlink satellites in space, and thanks to them millions of people around the world can enjoy their internet service. In the U.S., most people using Starlink have around 200 Mbps download speed, which is good for internet users’ experience.

Also, the latency (how long it takes for information to go back and forth) is about 25 milliseconds — and they’re trying to get that down to 20, which is even better for online gaming and video calls. Right now, over 6 million people are already using Starlink!

Why should you care?

It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand techy words like “latency”, you just imagine that your videos will load instantly, games won’t freeze or lag, Zoom calls won’t glitch or cut out. The most exciting thing about all of this? It all works even if you live far from a big city. So, this means faster, better internet for more people — even in places where normal internet doesn’t work well.

The Internet is something we use in our daily life, so these Starlink satellites in space will change the way we use it a lot and sooner than we think. No matter if you’re streaming shows, doing homework, playing games, or chatting with friends, you will experience a smoother way of using the internet. Aren’t you excited about this new internet improvement from space?