Gaze into the night sky this week and you may notice a mysterious trail of lights hurtling above.
The Starlink satellites, operated by SpaceX, are released every two weeks or so and designed to deliver high-speed broadband internet to remote areas around the globe.
SpaceX explained: “With performance that far surpasses that of traditional satellite internet, and a global network unbounded by ground infrastructure limitations, Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable.”
So far, SpaceX has launched 597 Starlink satellites, but has plans to eventually launch a total of nearly 12,000 into orbit, reports MirrorOnline.
While most satellites orbit at around 1,000km above Earth, Starlink travels at a lower height of around 550km, meaning they're regularly visible.
This week, eagle-eyed skygazers will have several opportunities to spot them.
When can you see Starlink satellites from the UK?
According to Find Starlink, the satellites will be visible at:
- 3:29 am, 12 Aug 2020
- 5:04 am, 12 Aug 2020
- 2:36 am, 13 Aug 2020
- 4:09 am, 13 Aug 2020
- 3:15 am, 14 Aug 2020
- 4:49 am, 14 Aug 2020
- 3:54 am, 15 Aug 2020
