Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov
SpaceX Starlink, promised by Elon Musk for Ukraine, has already been delivered to the country to provide uninterrupted Internet. Starlink will allow access to the Internet in areas where ground communication towers are damaged and will provide access for people who are left without contact with their loved ones.
The situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate as Russian forces relentlessly shell residential and public buildings, which include hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. The number of civilian casualties is growing with each moment. By striking important strategic facilities and Internet infrastructure, Russian invaders have deprived part of the population of communication with relatives, however this problem can be solved in the near future.
As soon as the news spread around the world that Russia had attacked Ukraine, SpaceX, realizing that there would be problems with the Internet connection in the country, began immediate action. The company organized the supply of Starlink terminals and activated service in Ukraine. When Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov turned to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for help on February 26, the head of the company already had a productive answer to share. Musk responded that Starlink service is now active in Ukraine and more terminals were sent to the country.
On the evening of February 28, the promised Starlinks were delivered to Ukraine. Fedorov shared this great news on his Twitter account, thanking the head of SpaceX for this. In the near future, several hundred terminals will be delivered to the most problematic places in Ukraine to provide access to the Internet.
You are most welcome
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2022
Tesmanian writer Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo shared some details about how Starlink works and how it can help Ukraine. The coverage area for 1 Starlink dish mobility is approximately a 30-kilometers (18.6 miles) radius from 1 specific service address per dish antenna, which means that users in this fairly large area can access the Internet if the dish is moved around a community. SpaceX is working to make the service mobile. March 3, 2022 UPDATE: SpaceX enabled data roaming in Ukraine to enable Starlink users to access the internet while actively on the move.
Updating software to reduce peak power consumption, so Starlink can be powered from car cigarette lighter.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2022
Mobile roaming enabled, so phased array antenna can maintain signal while on moving vehicle.
The constellation of around 2,000 satellite beams Internet service from space down to user dish antennas on Earth. Satellites in orbit receive Internet data from Starlink Gateway ground stations located in countries close to Ukraine. In this way, each dish can have its own service address to reach specific affected communities across Ukraine.
What is critical in this challenging time is that Starlink is very easy to install without professional help. You just connect the dish and Wi-Fi router to a power source and angle the antenna at the sky. After that, you need to download the Starlink app for instructions. Thus, in less than 10 minutes, people can receive Internet services from satellites in low Earth orbit.
Starlink CAN operate without a password, but whoever manages the installation of each dish is responsible for either setting the password or leaving access to the Internet open for the public nearby. If the password is set, then it will be transmitted to the population in a particular area by responsible people.
Most likely, Starlink antennas will be installed in public places, where there are a lot of innocent people or will be used by the military for their needs. Each Starlink Dish & Wi-Fi router can serve about 50 devices/person. Starlink Premium will be able to support more than 50 users, providing high-speed Internet access.
The government and people of Ukraine are sincerely grateful to Elon Musk for his support during this difficult time. I, as a resident of Ukraine, directly affected by the Russian invasion, also express my deep gratitude to the head of SpaceX. The situation in Ukraine is becoming more complicated every day and any help from the world community is urgently needed here.
© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
Last edited by Evelyn J. Arevalo on March 3, 2022 to include SpaceX update.About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
