INTERESTING ENGINEERING By Chris Young 7/11/2022
SpaceX launched 46 Starlink satellites on its 29th launch of 2022.SpaceX successfully completed another Starlink launch to polar orbit, bringing it a crucial step closer to providing "complete coverage of Earth," according to CEO Elon Musk.
SpaceX Starlink aims for 'complete coverage'The private space company has now launched more than 2,600 Starlink satellites into orbit, with more than 2,300 currently active. Back in May, Musk tweeted that SpaceX is "expecting over 4,200 Starlink satellites in operation within 18 months, which is ~2/3 of all active satellites of Earth."
Starlink is currently available in a total of 32 countries. SpaceX, however, means to vastly expand availability later this year and in 2023. Next year, it aims to provide coverage to the entire continent of Africa. Musk's assertion that the latest polar launch will provide "complete coverage" suggests the latest batch of satellites is a crucial part of the company's plans for expansion.
More:
https://interestingengineering.com/spacex-starlink-complete-coverage-polar-orbit-launch
