Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by the American aerospace company SpaceX. It provides broadband internet by using a large network (megaconstellation) of thousands of small satellites orbiting in low Earth orbit (LEO) around 550 km above the surface, much closer than traditional geostationary satellites. How Starlink works:
- Users install a Starlink satellite dish (terminal) that automatically tracks passing Starlink satellites overhead.
- Thousands of satellites in LEO form a constellation constantly moving across the sky; the dish switches to the nearest satellite to maintain connection.
- Internet data is sent from the user's dish to the satellite, then relayed to a ground station connected to the global internet backbone.
- Data coming from the internet travels from ground stations to satellites and down to the user's dish.
- Starlink satellites communicate via laser crosslinks for faster data transfer between satellites, reducing the need for ground stations.
This constellation in low orbit allows Starlink to provide high-speed internet with lower latency (25 to 60 ms), suitable for streaming, gaming, and video calls, especially serving remote or underserved areas without traditional internet access. As of 2025, Starlink has thousands of satellites and millions of subscribers worldwide. It also has military and cellular service applications being developed.
