American company SpaceX’s Starlink space internet system has started sending SMS messages thanks to new satellites that can establish a direct communication channel with smartphones on Earth. This has been officially reported bill SpaceX is on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The first text messages from space included things like “New phone, who’s that?”, “Never seen a connection like this” and “Wow”.
SpaceX noted that the Starlink constellation now includes more than 5,250 functional vehicles. The delivery of SMS messages from orbit became possible with the successful launch of six new satellites on January 2, 2024.
These devices send information directly to smartphones on the ground instead of base stations, making it possible to send and receive data in areas where mobile networks do not work.
Until recently, connecting regular phones directly to satellites was almost impossible due to technical limitations due to long distances, fast orbital movements, and weak antennas of mobile devices. However, the company announced that new silicon antennas with phased arrays and modern algorithms make it possible to overcome this obstacle.
SpaceX plans to set a new space launch record with 144 launches in 2024; This number is 46 more than in 2023.
Previously in China launched It is the first satellite of a future network that will compete with Starlink.