SpaceX intends to boost its unprecedented launch cadence
Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability, recently informed the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Space and Science that the company plans to significantly augment its rocket launches in the upcoming two and a half months. Ambitiously, SpaceX aims to culminate the year with a minimum of 100 flight missions and has set its sights on executing at least 144 tasks by 2024.
To actualize this lofty vision, it implies that SpaceX is slated to undertake over twelve flight missions every month next year. Senior officials at SpaceX elucidated that this spike in flight missions correlates directly with the imminent rollout of their direct satellite communication service for mobile phones.
SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, under the moniker ‘Direct to Cell‘, will commence offering direct satellite communication services for mobile phones in 2024. This includes functionalities like texting, calling, and data transmission, catering to all smartphones equipped with LTE technology.
However, it’s pivotal to note that in its 2024 debut, the service will exclusively offer text messaging capabilities. It is anticipated that by 2025, progressive introductions of voice, data transmission, and Internet of Things (IoT) related connectivity features will follow.
To bring this aspiration to fruition, Starlink needs to deploy an augmented array of low-orbit satellites tailored for communication services, ensuring they furnish comprehensive global coverage.
This avant-garde service is predicated on Starlink’s prior collaboration with T-Mobile. As per the accord, T-Mobile will allocate specific 5G network frequencies for the connectivity of Starlink’s second-generation low-orbit satellites. Furthermore, Starlink will facilitate access for smartphones utilizing T-Mobile’s LTE technology to directly tap into satellite signals, underscoring that its service already envelops virtually the entirety of the U.S.
Following Apple’s pioneering step of integrating satellite distress call capabilities into its iPhone 14 series, numerous competitors in the market have inculcated similar features, engendering a fervent competitive landscape. Market analysts posit that the demand for satellite-connected internet will gain pronounced traction in the foreseeable future. This trajectory is anticipated to shape the 6G mobile network standards, evolving into a ubiquitously employed technology.
