Starlink is a satellite constellation being constructed by SpaceX to provide satellite Internet access. The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites, working in combination with ground transceivers. SpaceX also plans to sell some of the satellites for military, scientific or exploratory purposes.
Starlink constellation, phase 1, first orbital shell: 72 orbits with 22 each, 1,584 satellites at 550 km altitude. As of November 2019, SpaceX has deployed 122 satellites. They plan to deploy 60 more per Falcon 9 launch, with launches as often as every two weeks after late 2019. In total, nearly 12,000 satellites will be deployed by the late-2020s, with a possible later extension to 42,000. The initial 12,000 satellites are planned to orbit in three orbital shells: first placing approximately 1,600 in a 550-kilometer (340 mi)-altitude shell, then approximately 2,800 Ku- and Ka-band spectrum satellites at 1,150 km (710 mi) and approximately 7,500 V-band satellites at 340 km (210 mi). Commercial operation has begon in 2020.
As of September 2022, SpaceX has over 2,300 functioning Starlink satellites in orbit, and over 500,000 active subscribers. They continue to launch up to 53 more satellites per Falcon 9 flight.
On Thursday, October 27 at 6:14 p.m. PT, 2022, SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
SpaceX的Starlink “星链”计划在三个轨道上部署接近12000颗卫星：
- 首先在550千米轨道部署约1600颗卫星，
- 然后是在1150千米轨道部署约2800颗Ku波段和Ka波段卫星，
- 最后是在340千米轨道部署约7500颗V波段卫星。
“星链”始建于2018年2月22日。经过多年的建设，截至2022年9月，在轨卫星数目超过2300个。如果一切顺利，“星链”可以在全球范围内提供低成本的互联网连接服务。
