SpaceX Wants Starlink Satellites Closer To Earth For Faster Internet Speeds And Lower Risks During Failures

Elon Musk‘s rocket manufacturing company SpaceX is seeking regulatory approval to position some of its second-generation Starlink satellites closer to Earth in a bid to enhance the quality of service.

What Happened: SpaceX on Tuesday submitted a request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to place a few of its next-gen Starlink satellites at altitudes in the 340 km to 360 km range. The company said in the letter that it believes lowering the orbital altitude will enhance the quality of service for consumers, businesses, and emergency services alike.

“Operating at these lower altitudes will enable SpaceX to provide higher-quality,lower-latency satellite service for consumers, keeping pace with growing demand for real-time applications to support remote work, distance education, telehealth, and emergency response,” the company wrote.

Satellite failures at lower altitudes present lower risk than at higher altitudes, SpaceX said, while adding that lowering altitudes will help it deorbit non-functional satellites faster in a few weeks.

Why It Matters: The FCC approved the company’s plans to operate 7,500 second-gen Starlink satellites at altitudes of 525 km, 530 km, and 535 km in December 2022.

On Tuesday, the company said that it has witnessed better-than-expected performance with these new satellites, particularly during the launch and early orbit phase of their operations.

“Based on the early successes of its second-generation satellites, SpaceX requests authority to leverage the shells included in its application in the 340 km-360 km range as an option within its first tranche of 7,500 satellites,” the Starlink operator wrote.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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