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SpaceX Announces That Starlink Now Has Over 1 Million Users

It seems that Elon Musk’s internet service is proving extremely popular.

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2 years ago

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spacex announces that starlink now has over 1 million users
Starlink

SpaceX has just revealed via a Tweet that its satellite internet service, Starlink, now has over 1 million active users. Despite the recent controversy surrounding CEO Elon Musk’s recent Twitter antics, it seems that the public still sees enormous value in the entrepreneur’s tech offerings.

Although the subscriber figures sound impressive for a relatively young company, Starlink still has a few teething problems. According to a September report by speed test gurus Ookla, the satellite internet company’s download speeds have continued to drop since mid-2021, with figures ranging from 9% to 54% being measured at various intervals.

Ookla believes that the dropouts and general sluggishness are probably due to Starlink’s infrastructure straining under the weight of its growing user base, which along with a fair use policy introduced in November 2022, means that the company is almost certainly throttling internet speeds. Starlink’s service went from 400,000 active users in May to the 1 million+ figure we’re hearing about today, so existing users may need to spend more to get speeds back to what they’ve been used to so far.

Also Read: UAE Prepares To Trial First Driverless Truck At Dubai South

Back in August, SpaceX announced that it was entering into a partnership with T-Mobile that would allow the mobile phone giant’s customers to connect directly to Starlink satellites, potentially adding even more users to the platform — though testing will continue well into 2023.

Future plans for SpaceX include the addition of their second-generation satellites, which may ease some of the strain when they launch at the end of the year. However, astronomers will no doubt be less than thrilled at this news, as Musk’s company currently has over 3,000 craft in orbit, a figure which will eventually reach 42,000 once future plans are approved.

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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.

Published

5 days ago

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December 17, 2024

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uae prepares to launch two satellites thuraya-2 and mbz-sat

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.

The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.

Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.

Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.

Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.

Also Read: IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth

The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.

The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.

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