The satellite network operated by SpaceX has officially surpassed four million customers. The U.S. space company announced this on X. According to the report, the satellite internet, which is part of Elon Musk’s corporate network, is now available in 100 countries across all seven continents.
This achievement confirms the predictions of company president Gwynne Shotwell. In a meeting of the Texas State Budget Committee on September 24, 2024, she mentioned that the company could reach this milestone in the coming days, according to a report by TechCrunch.
This success is even more impressive because Elon Musk announced on X at the end of May that Starlink had reached three million subscribers. In just over five months, SpaceX has gained one million new customers for its service.
Astronomers are concerned
Astronomers are concerned about Starlink, which was founded by SpaceX to provide internet access to people in remote and poorly connected areas. A key milestone was reached in May 2019 when the first 60 operational satellites were launched into space.
Since then, SpaceX has been launching satellites regularly and, with the approval of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), now has over 6,500 operational satellites in low Earth orbit. The total number is expected to exceed 34,000.
While the benefits of the satellite network are significant, it also has downsides. Astronomers are already expressing concerns that the numerous satellites are greatly obstructing their view of the night sky. The bright reflections from these satellites are disrupting astronomical observations.
This issue may worsen in the future, as the next generation of Starlink satellites is expected to be up to five times brighter than the current models. Recent findings from researchers at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) indicate that these new satellites will also have up to 32 times more electromagnetic leakage.