SpaceX (Starlink Gen1)

227 kg satellites for the constellation. Used to be 400 kg according to FCC filing. First technology demonstration mission flew in 2018.

• First 10 polar satellite launched in early 2021.

• Rideshare missions accommodate customer payloads on 15” or 24” ESPA ports. Cubesats can be aggregated and launched on a customer provided, ESPA-compatible deployer.
• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off 2023 April 2 carrying 10 military satellites, including two built by SpaceX. 
• A new product line called Starshield, SpaceNews, 2023-01-19.
• SpaceX is offering a second class of rideshare missions on its Falcon 9 rocket to serve customers seeking to go to mid-inclination orbits.
• Over-The-Vacuum Update – Starlink’s Approach for Reliably Upgrading Software on Thousands of Satellites, SmallSat 2023.
• SpaceX no longer taking losses to produce Starlink satellite antennas, CNBC, 2023-09-13.
• Achieving 99% link uptime on a fleet of 100G space laser inter-satellite links in LEO, 2024-01-30.
• Starlink's Laser System Is Beaming 42 Million GB of Data Per Day, Michael Kan, 2024-01-31.
• SpaceX to deorbit 100 older Starlink satellites, SpaceNews, 2024-02-13.
• "This mission brings us above 10,000 operational space lasers for the constellation", 2024-03-05.
• Plug and Plaser laser communications module, 2024-03-19.
• Vast to use Starlink for space station broadband communications, SpaceNews, 2024-04-11.
• A Multifaceted Look at Starlink Performance, 2024-02-22.
• Starlink soars: SpaceX’s satellite internet surprises analysts with $6.6 billion revenue projection, SpaceNews, 2024-05-09.
• Analyst on Starlink’s rapid rise: “Nothing short of mind-blowing”, 2024-05-10.
• SpaceX and the categorical imperative to achieve low launch cost, Pierre Lionnet, 2024-06-07.

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft.