Click here to join L2 Such a technology would enable a person lost in the wilderness to call for help, no matter how far away they are from civilization or cell service towers. Even before calling for help, a lost person could use data from Direct-to-Cell (DTC) connectivity to look up a route on any map service and return to safety. Starlink satellites with DTC capabilities will each have an eNodeB modem, allowing them to act as cell phone towers in space. These cell tower-based satellites will instantly transfer data to Starlink’s ground network and forward it to the partner carriers’ network, enabling messages to be sent and live phone calls to be made. The DTC-equipped satellites will continue working as average Starlink satellites, expanding communication for all Starlink customers with every launch that goes up. Having constellations of Starlink satellites equipped with DTC communication will nearly eliminate dead spots around the globe. Furthermore, the constellation and its DTC capabilities will work with existing phones and not require new hardware to enable DTC communication. Starlink DTC diagram showing how data will be transmitted between a cell phone and Starlink. (Credit: SpaceX) SpaceX officially requested special temporary authority to conduct experimental operations on the DTC-equipped satellites starting Jan. 27, 2025. This will allow beta testing to formally begin for users with average cell phones on SpaceX’s partner cellular service carriers. This beta release will allow SpaceX and partner carriers to learn what a full-scale Starlink DTC constellation needs to function without issues. It is noted that the beta release will be a global launch with specific cellular partners worldwide. This beta will enable more development of DTC technology than ever before and could help create supplemental coverage from space for areas where people may find themselves in emergency situations. SpaceX will have until July 26, 2025, to test DTC services for its Starlink satellites in the launch, early orbit, orbit-raising, and operational phases of their missions. If these tests succeed and provide the expected data rate and coverage reliability, SpaceX can expand the DTC cell service beyond a beta release to an operational system. An image of the NGC 5353/4 galaxy group taken by a telescope at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. The streaks are Starlink satellites transiting the telescope’s field of view. (Credit: Victoria Girgis/Lowell Observatory) SpaceX has proven that a LEO satellite constellation is a viable way to make money in the space industry. Other companies, most notably Amazon’s Project Kuiper, are preparing to launch their first batches of internet satellites into orbit in early 2025. If everything goes according to plan, this will only increase competition and provide higher internet speeds for everyone on Earth. For SpaceX, much of the profit received from Starlink will be funneled back into the development of Starship. This increased profit margin will allow work to be completed faster without worrying about losing money in risky developmental processes and programs. Starlink has already shown that creating orbital cell services worldwide could change how people communicate. Such services could save countless lives and become an expectation for every carrier, especially in emergencies. Starlink could be the unexpected technology that enables humans to become a multi-planetary species. (Lead Image: 22 Starlinks are deployed on the Group 10-8 mission. Credit: SpaceX)