Elon Musk activates Starlink satellites in Ukraine on plea
SAN FRANCISCO: Elon Musk said his Starlink satellite service is up and running in Ukraine, responding to a plea from the deputy prime minister to supply satellite-based communications to help resist Russia’s invasion of the country.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Fedorov said,”@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars -Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space -- Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.”
More Starlink terminals are en route, Musk tweeted Saturday in reply to Mykhailo Fedorov’s entreaty, without explaining how the equipment would get there.
Musk’s SpaceX plans to take thousands of Starlink satellites into orbit, creating an internetservice constellation that would work as a low-cost alternative to remote land-based systems that are vulnerable to interruption. The billionaire previously donated 50 satellite terminals to restore the internet in Tonga, whose telecommunications network was severely disrupted by a tsunami this year.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from California on Friday with a payload of another 50 satellites. The Starlink services provide access to broadband internet connections across the world. The array of
Starlink satellites, operated by SpaceX, offer low-latency internet coverage in remote areas of several countries.
Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions - Donetsk and Luhansk - as independent entities. Following this, he ordered special military operations “to protect” the people in the Donbas region.
(With inputs from ANI)