This map shows where the Starlink satellites are in real time
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are gaining more and more prominence in low Earth orbit, so little by little specific tools are emerging to chase them in the night sky or know where they are in real time.
Satellitemap.space is one of the second: an overwhelming map of the Earth that shows where the satellites of the network are at any given moment and what is the scope of their coverage. The map is updated live with data from space-track.org and allows you to filter by launch or view the specific name of each satellite. The last two batches of satellites have yet to be included and in Hacker News they argue that the coverage calculation is reliable, but it is a curious tool to have satellites controlled before they are 42,000.
SpaceX launched the eighth batch of Starlink on Saturday, this time with 58 satellites instead of 60 because it was a shared launch with the startup Planet Labs. A few days later, the satellite train passed through the Iberian Peninsula at a suitable time to turn visible in the night sky: shortly before sunrise. In Isla Cristina (Huelva) some fishermen saw the lights and took several photos.
The satellites will eventually separate to provide internet coverage in Canada and the northern United States. There are already 538 in orbit with Earth, but SpaceX plans to launch 12,000 in the first half of the decade, and has asked for approval of another 30,000 to expand its internet coverage to almost the entire world.
The company has several open fronts: The first against astronomers, who demand measures so that the satellites shine less and stop interfering with the observations of ground-based telescopes. The second with the Federal Communications Commission of the United States, which does not trust that Starlink offers the low latency that Elon Musk promises, and could deny him the grant that SpaceX asks for to offer internet in rural environments.
Is Starlink available in my area
Starlink internet is currently undergoing beta testing in parts of the US, Canada, and the UK to people who live between 44 and 53 degrees latitude. Once it’s available, you will be able to get Starlink internet in rural and underserved areas of the world.
Where is Starlink available
Starlink is available in less than a dozen countries in the Americas, Europe and Oceania, including the United States, Mexico, Chile and Spain, and it is expected to reach Argentina and Colombia in 2023. In Brazil, its entrance is getting closer, after the local authorities authorize its operations.
As of February 2022, it had 100,000 customers worldwide. However, the company’s projections are to reach 500,000 users in its first year. These are the countries where the beta of the service was available as of February 2022:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- New Zealand