Look Ma, No Cell Towers! Elon Musk Cheers As Starlink Makes Space-Based Posting On X A Reality

Elon Musk‘s satellite internet company, SpaceX, successfully made its first social media post through a Starlink satellite equipped with direct-to-cell technology in low-Earth orbit.

What Happened: The message posted on X, formerly Twitter, originated from a standard mobile phone and connected directly to the satellite without requiring any additional equipment, according to Musk.

SpaceX’s Senior Director of Satellite Engineering, Ben Longmier, shared his excitement by revealing that the team had exchanged messages on the platform earlier in the day, even with tree cover obstructing the direct line to the satellite. He included a photo depicting the moderate tree cover in the area.

Direct-to-Cell Starlink Satellites: SpaceX launched six satellites with this capability earlier this year. Each satellite features a modem functioning as a cell tower in space, aiming to provide users with global access to texting, calling, and internet browsing using standard LTE phones, without requiring additional hardware, software, or apps. Unlike traditional cell towers, these satellites are constantly moving around the planet.

Future Plans: SpaceX plans to roll out texting services by the end of 2024, followed by voice calls, data, and internet-of-things (IoT) services in 2025. These services will rely on a network of hundreds of these direct-to-cell enabled satellites.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

Read More: Less Than Half Of Tesla’s Latest Model 3 Parts Are Made In North America, NHTSA Filing Reveals

Photo via Shutterstock