SpaceX has received permission from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize its Starlink satellite constellation by replacing first-generation satellites with second-generation Starlink Gen2 spacecraft. The modernization will improve the quality of communication of the Starlink service, which provides high-speed broadband Internet access to subscribers on Earth using satellites.
Image source: Starlink
«SpaceX looks forward to deploying upgraded satellite hardware across its first-generation constellation to provide even more reliable next-generation satellite service to millions of consumers across the country, especially in polar regions,” the company said in a letter to regulators in April.
SpaceX began launching first-generation Starlink satellites in 2019 after receiving FCC approval to deploy up to 4,408 satellites in orbit. In February 2023, the company submitted an application to upgrade the satellite constellation using second-generation Starlink spacecraft. SpaceX has FCC approval to launch up to 7,500 Starlink Gen2 satellites.
As SpaceX previously said, the second-generation Starlink satellites feature “advanced beamforming and digital processing technologies and provide narrower beam capabilities to provide more targeted and reliable coverage.”
The American satellite television operator Dish Network tried last year through the court to have the FCC’s permission to launch Starlink Gen2 satellites revoked due to the fact that they would have a negative impact on the stability of satellite television broadcasts. However, the court rejected the lawsuit by Dish Network and the non-profit organization DarkSky International, describing the FCC decision as “legal and reasonable.”
Despite receiving regulatory approval, SpaceX will not rush to update the constellation. It told the commission last year that it would only make replacements when the satellites reached the end of their planned operational life.