In order to provide high-speed broadband internet to remote locations, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched a string of satellites that are known as the Starlink satellites. Touted to ensure fast, low lag internet in the areas of the northern United States and Canada in 2020, the company promises global coverage by the next year.
Although the array of satellites in space has kept people abuzz, we did not get our hands on any image of the antennas that are going to have a connection with the satellites. But a Reddit user has changed that recently.
Prototype of Starlink terminals. Image credit: Reddit/u/darkpenguin22
The space enthusiast, who goes by the username darkpenguin22, has posted five photographs of user terminals and ground stations from SpaceX’s site near Merrillan, Wisconsin. According to a report published by the Business Insider India, the Reddit user drove by the site a few days back and captured the detailed photos using a large telephoto lens.
The user shared the photos on Reddit group r/SpaceXLounge on June 20, saying that these were the “prototype Starlink terminal close-ups” in the caption. The group allows for “relaxed and laidback discussion about SpaceX”.
In the comments, the author said that he had figured that people “might be interested” in getting “better close-ups of what seems to be prototype terminals”. The user also specified the camera details, saying he used a Nikon D7100 with a Sigma 60-600mm and a 1.4x teleconverter.
The scarcity of ground antennas is real as Musk’s firm has posted a lot of photos and videos of its satellites in the past but not so much for the ground supports.
Falcon 9 launches 58 Starlink satellites and 3 @planetlabs Skysats to orbit before returning to Earth and landing on a droneship pic.twitter.com/K6OjgJQZfv
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2020
Watch Falcon 9 launch 58 Starlink satellites and 3 @planetlabs SkySats → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/y2mQyviG3Z
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2020
The only guideline about the terminals came from Musk himself when he described them to be like “thin, flat, round UFO on a stick”.
Looks like a thin, flat, round UFO on a stick. Starlink Terminal has motors to self-adjust optimal angle to view sky. Instructions are simply:
- Plug in socket
- Point at sky
These instructions work in either order. No training required.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2020
SpaceX has not confirmed the leaked photographs to be genuine yet, although one of the pictures shows a label on the devices that says the units are prototypes and SpaceX’s property.
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