It was on May 23, 2019, that SpaceX, founded by South African billionaire Elon Musk launched 60 communication satellites to earth's orbit as a part of the Starlink project, an initiative aimed to provide internet in all nooks of the globe.
Musk had previously revealed that a fleet of 12,000 satellites will be launched as a part of this project, and he believes that it will reshape the way in which people use the internet. However, it has been now revealed that Musk's ambitious internet-beaming Starlink satellite system is not ready for a commercial rollout yet.
Australian man's request unveiled Starlink secret
A few days back, in the backdrop of Australian bush fire, a Twitter user asked Elon Musk whether he can deploy Starlink satellites above the country so that the already lost internet connection can be restored. Replying to the Twitter user's request, Musk revealed that the satellite system is not ready yet.
Starlink satellite system: All you need to know
After the successful May 23 launch, SpaceX launched another 60 satellites on November 11, 2019. Later, the company revealed that another launch consisting of 60 satellites will take place on December 30. However, the launch was delayed, and it was later revealed that the much ambitious first launch in 2020 will take place on January 6, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Starlink System: A threat to stargazing
Even though Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system mission is receiving positive responses from all corners, a section of sceptics believes that this project is not good for the planet. A few months back, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) had urged authorities to regulate these satellite launches.
The IAU also added that radiowaves emitted by Starlink satellites could endanger further studies of the night sky. In the meantime, certain space experts believe that an increasing number of satellite launches could trap humans on earth, and it may even negatively affect future space missions. As per these experts, missions like Starlink will drastically increase space debris, and thus rockets will find it hard to escape earth's orbit.
