RICHARDS Bay residents yesterday (Wednesday) reported seeing ‘something in the sky’ in the late afternoon.

Not knowing what they were witnessing, they took videos and photos, and tried to find some answers.

A quick internet search revealed Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched 21 new Starlink satellites yesterday, launching from Florida’s Cape Canaveral at 10.30am local time (3.30pm South African time) after two delays for undisclosed reasons earlier in the day.

This is the enterprise’s 25th launch of the year, according to Space.com

“About 8 minutes and 26 seconds after launch, the rocket’s first stage landed on the autonomous SpaceX droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas nearby in the Atlantic Ocean, within view of a livestream from SpaceX,” reported Space.com

SpaceX’s V2 mini Starlink satellites are designed to be more powerful than earlier versions, allowing for more broadband capacity than previous generations, according to the company.

According to reports, SpaceX already has over 4 000 Starlink satellites in orbit, and plans many more.

“The company has regulatory approval to launch up to 12 000 more Starlink craft and is seeking permission to add a whopping 30 000 more,” said Space.com

These satellites help bring broadband internet to under-served locations around the world, but astronomers complain these craft interrupt science observations.

Starlink in Africa
A first for the continent, SpaceX in January announced its Starlink service was available in Nigeria, and has since become available in Rwanda.

The service is set to be rolled out elsewhere on the continent later this year, to include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Tanzania, with more coverage set for 2024.

According to Fortune.com, the United Nations has plans for universal mobile connectivity access across Africa by 2030.

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