Elon Musk activates SpaceX Starlink service over Ukraine
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SpaceX successfully launched the latest batch of Starlink internet satellites earlier today, carrying another 48 satellites to join the massive constellation that provides internet access around the world. This marks the company’s 10th such launch in as many week, as the two stage Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida, USA at 1545 GMT. The first stage of the rocket returned to Earth shortly after, allowing it be reused.
Shortly before the Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX’s launch director issued a thinly veiled jab at Putin and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.
He said: “Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom.”
This remark is believed to be a response to Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, who promised to block the US from using Russian rocket engines after the US hit Moscow with tough sanctions.
Speaking to state television, Mr Rogozin said: “In a situation like this we can’t supply the United States with our world’s best rocket engines.
“Let them fly on something else, their broomsticks, I don’t know what.”
As a response to this, SpaceX boss Elon Musk taunted Mr Rogozin’s announcement by posting a video of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launching another 47 Starlink satellite into orbit.
He also tweeted out the phrase “American broomsticks”.
Since Putin invaded Ukraine two weeks ago, Mr Musk has found himself at loggerheads with the Russian administration.
Responding to a call to aid from Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, Mr Musk activated his Starlink satellites over Ukraine.
Starlink is a constellation of satellites created by SpaceX, with the aim of launching satellite internet coverage which will one day span the entire globe.
SpaceX has permission from US authorities to send up 12,000 satellites in total, and as of the most recent update in February 2022, the beta internet service is available in 29 countries.
Now, Mr Musk has activated the network in Ukraine, and pledged “more terminals en route”.
Tweeting Mr Musk, Mr Fedorov said: “While you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people!
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“We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.”
In addition to this, Mr Musk also announced on Thursday that SpaceX had updated its Starlink software “to reduce peak power consumption, so Starlink can be powered from car cigarette lighter”.
He said: “Mobile roaming enabled, so phased array antenna can maintain signal while on moving vehicle.”
In the past, Russia has provided US Space agencies with rocket engines that have been used for missions across the solar system.
However, since Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the US has been gradually weaning itself off the Russian made RD-180 engines.
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