Witnessing a conga line of dozens of bright satellites marching through the night sky has surprised — and occasionally unsettled — many around the world in recent years. And as much as the sight of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing overhead might mystify the unacquainted, exactly how they work remains a riddle to many of those who already know about the ambitious project.
The Starlink constellation, which is intended to provide high-speed internet to underserved rural areas, depends on a huge network of interlinked satellites. For the past several years, every couple weeks or so, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has blasted off and carried a new batch of some 60 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. As those desk-sized satellites travel to their final positions, they brightly reflect light, irking many skygazers.
As of June 2021, there are over 1,500 Starlink active satellites, making Starlink the largest satellite constellation around Earth. In fact, SpaceX now owns more than half of all active satellites circling our planet. Ultimately, Elon Musk plans for Starlink to consist of many thousands — or even tens of thousands — of satellites, providing the entire globe with high-speed, low-latency internet.
