Elon Musk's Internet project is having trouble because of the terminal

The eighth batch of satellites of SpaceX's satellite Internet project has been successfully launched, but the operation plan depends on the device that receives the signal.

Elon Musk said the project's challenge no longer lies in satellites, but on consumer devices on the ground. To operate, satellite Internet projects need devices that receive signals from space. It is shaped like a thin, flat UFO flying disc and mounted on a stick, with a motor that automatically adjusts the angle to optimize the reception.

However, the image and mode of operation of this terminal have not been disclosed. In addition, before the project started, Musk had estimated that the device would cost $ 200 in 2015. Currently, analysts think the price must be 10 times more expensive. If you include maintenance costs and product life, the price to the user is even higher. Business Insider said that rising costs risk the failure of Musk's high-speed satellite Internet project.

SpaceX's StarLink satellite in orbit after the latest launch reached 480. If planned, this number will increase to 800 satellites by the end of this year, which is sufficient for satellite Internet service provision in the US and Canada. Earlier, on Twitter, Musk revealed that the internal testing of the Starlink system would begin in June, while the public testing will take place by the end of 2020.

Elon Musk and SpaceX are increasingly famous for successfully bringing two NASA astronauts to space on May 31. Photo: Sportcool.

High cost is the reason why many satellite Internet services have failed in the past. In March, OneWeb, a satellite Internet project that was supposed to rival SpaceX's Starlink, declared bankruptcy because it couldn't afford the cost. Motorola's $ 5 billion satellite project in the 1990s was halted due to the high price of the service.

"Starlink" is an ambitious global satellite Internet service of Elon Musk and Space X. The project was launched to provide high-speed and low-cost Internet services on a global scale. The satellites orbit the planet at an altitude of about 550 km, transmitting the Internet directly to the terminals installed by customers at home or office.

The goal of the project is to develop the Starlink network to more than 40,000 satellites for global coverage, serving even areas that cannot access the Internet in the usual way. Musk estimated that the project could bring $ 30 billion in annual revenue to SpaceX if successful.

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