According to an announcement by Elon Musk , the space company SpaceX 's Starlink project , which aims to provide a global broadband service via satellites, will go into operation in October, a month later than originally planned.
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As Musk confirmed on Twitter, the company received “good feedback” from Starlink beta 10 users and now plans to release beta 10.1, which users can look for starting this Friday, ahead of the official launch next month.
Beta services are currently operating in 11 different countries.
SpaceX said that as part of the beta services, users can expect data speeds ranging from 50Mbps to 150Mbps and latency of 20ms to 40ms in “most locations over the coming months” as the Starlink project continues to improve. There will also be brief periods of no connection, the company added.
SpaceX shipped 100,000 terminals to customers in August. At the time, Musk noted that telco license approval was pending in “many more countries.”.
See also: Elon Musk: Starlink will be available worldwide in August
SpaceX has been making headlines in recent days, largely due to its first private crewed mission to orbit Earth. The crew returned safely on Saturday.
After three days in Earth orbit at altitudes of 590 kilometers above the Earth's surface, the Inspiration4 launched from the coast of Florida at 7:06 p.m. EDT on September 18, 2021, aboard the fully automated Crew Dragon.
The four-member crew, Shift4 Payments founder and CEO Jared Issacman, cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux, geoscientist Sian Proctor , and aerospace engineer Chris Sembroski, each underwent six months of training before the mission.
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During their multi-day journey, the crew conducted scientific research to improve human health on Earth and in future long-duration spaceflights. Some of the research involved measuring movement, sleep, heart rate and rhythm, blood oxygen, cabin noise, and light intensity.
The Inspiration4 mission also raised more than $210 million to help children with cancer at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
