Elon Musk's SpaceX launches Starlink Gen2 satellites to orbit and received FCC clearance

To start its Starlink Gen2 satellites before the end of 2022, SpaceX has requested and received FCC clearance. The first component of the corporation's Gen2 network, 54 new Starlink satellites, was sent into orbit today by the company. SpaceX hasn't clarified what, if anything, makes these satellites unique given that they were launched on a Falcon 9 and that Starship, which hasn't yet entered orbit, is needed for the genuine next-generation Starlink gear.

Recently, the Starlink 5-1 mission's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off. Only one more Falcon 9 launch is scheduled for 2022, making it the 60th overall. We have grown to anticipate textbook precision from the Falcon 9 and the mission itself was no exception. The first-stage booster descended to rest on the company's A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship after launching the second stage into space. The satellites were launched into the intended orbit, making them the first to contribute to the company's 7,500 FCC-allotted satellites.

The gear is visible in the video feed after the cargo faring was launched, even though SpaceX did not provide any information about the satellites. Like all previous Starlink launches, the 54 satellites are stacked within, but the Gen2 satellites are said to be substantially bigger and more powerful. So, what defines this mission as "Gen2"? For the upgraded Starlink network, the satellites were placed in a new orbital shell approved by federal regulators. These satellites may be utilized to test elements of the real Gen2 hardware, or they might be utilized to improve communication until Starship is complete.

According to Elon Musk's SpaceX, the Gen2 expansion will resolve the congestion problems that Starlink has been experiencing into 2022. At the time of its introduction in 2020, Starlink offered latency that was not too dissimilar from wired broadband and speeds of up to 100Mbps, which were several times faster than those of conventional satellite internet. Speeds have slowed due to the high demand for Starlink connectivity, thus the business plans to impose household data limitations shortly.

The first orbital test of Starship was supposed to be finished in 2022, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, but that didn't happen. Although SpaceX's brand-new mega-rocket hasn't flown in months, the Super Heavy first stage, which is needed to launch Starship into orbit, has been undergoing static fire tests. The more potent Gen2 Starlink satellites will be deployable by Starship once it is finished, but that is just the beginning. Starship will also be used by SpaceX to do the sub-orbital surface-to-surface transfer on Earth, assist NASA's Artemis lunar missions, and go to far-off places like Mars. And Musk continues to maintain his desire to populate Mars. You need a mega-rocket to do that.