October 31, 2024, 4:43:40 PM IST (Updated) 3 Min Read SpaceX has successfully launched its 200th Starlink mission on the evening of Wednesday, October 30, deploying 23 satellites into low Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The milestone was celebrated by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who praised the team's dedication and success. Congrats @SpaceX team on the 200th successful Starlink flight! https://t.co/9Jzoi5OqFX — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2024 The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida, marking yet another step in SpaceX's ongoing efforts to expand its Starlink constellation. This year alone, SpaceX has conducted more than 100 Falcon 9 missions, with approximately two-thirds focused on expanding the Starlink network, which provides low-latency internet connectivity to over 4 million users worldwide. As of early September, SpaceX announced that it had launched more than 7,000 Starlink satellites, with data from astronomer Jonathan McDowell indicating that 7,213 satellites have been deployed to date—over 6,500 of which are operational. Looking ahead, SpaceX is awaiting regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate satellites at lower altitudes, a move that could significantly improve performance. In an earlier update, Musk shared on the social media platform X that the next generation of Starlink satellites, intended for launch by the larger Starship vehicle, promises to deliver a tenfold increase in bandwidth and reduced latency due to their proximity to Earth. While the Falcon 9 continues to be the primary launch vehicle for Starlink satellites, the Starship launch system is still in the testing and development phase and has yet to carry any payloads into space. Musk also informed that the number of Starlink satellites designed to provide direct connectivity to cell phones could eventually match the number currently deployed for high-bandwidth terminals. This indicates a shift in focus towards expanding accessibility, allowing more users to benefit from satellite internet directly on their mobile devices. However, Musk offered a crucial caveat regarding performance. He noted that while the infrastructure will grow to support mobile connectivity, users should expect a significant difference in bandwidth. Specifically, he explained that the bandwidth available through direct cell phone connections would be approximately one-tenth of that provided by dedicated Starlink antennas. This limitation is rooted in the physics of satellite communication, where signal strength and bandwidth are affected by the type of receiving equipment used. This is just the beginning. My guess is that there will be as many Starlink direct to cell phone satellites as there are for our high bandwidth terminals. As a rough rule of thumb, however, bandwidth will be ~1/10th as high for phones vs a dedicated Starlink antenna (physics… https://t.co/BDrAB7hqxR