Elon Musk, astronauts on mission Polaris DawnAltitudes above 1,400 km are currently testing the new possibilities of Starlink satellite communications for the first time.

Polaris Dawn It is the first mission to test Starlink laser communications, using a “Plug and Placer” inside the Crew Dragon to communicate with Starlink satellites throughout the mission. SpaceX

This is the first Crew Dragon mission to use SpaceX’s Starlink network of internet satellites in low Earth orbit and Starlink laser communications. Astronauts will attempt to relay data via the Starlink network using light beams, rather than a traditional ground-based system like the Tracking Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) that NASA uses to communicate with spacecraft in Earth orbit.

The crew has a Wi-Fi router inside the vehicle that has what they call a “plug-in” laser system. The crew promised some kind of surprise regarding a special message to the world, but didn’t disclose details.

Previously, SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts have been farther from Earth than any human in the last 50 years. They are preparing to go into space.