According to the report, SpaceX will soon begin launching its next-generation broadband Starlink satellites, which could help the company cope with the growing demand. SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, is dealing with congestion in its broadband network despite launching hundreds of first-generation Starlink satellites this year with Falcon 9 rockets, SpaceNews reports.

The final Starlink launch was on December 17, and launch schedules indicate SpaceX is targeting December 28 for another Starlink mission due to pending weather and technical issues. This mission could be the first to launch Gen2 Starlink satellites that are larger and more powerful than the current generation. According to SpaceNews, SpaceX said in a recent filing with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that it plans to launch the Starlink Gen2 spacecraft by the end of 2022.

On December 1, the FCC approved SpaceX’s deployment of 7,500 Gen2 satellites. This was only a partial confirmation; SpaceX has applied for permission to place about 30,000 of these satellites into low Earth orbit. SpaceX officials have requested a 60-day temporary permit from the FCC to connect already deployed user terminals to the new satellites. In a recent dossier quoted by SpaceNews, SpaceX said the interim measure would allow users to “access increased capacity,” which would likely increase users’ Internet speeds.

An analysis by Seattle-based Ookla shows that Starlink’s average download speed has dropped in both the United States and Canada; this can be a sign of popularity and tension.

According to statistics from Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who monitors Starlink on his website, of Starlink’s total of 3,612 satellites launched, about 3,300 have satellites in operation. According to Musk, Starlink Gen2 satellites will be able to transmit services directly to smartphones. SpaceX plans to launch most of these satellites using its massive Starship rocket, which is still under development. But the first Starlink 2nd generation vehicle will apparently take off with the company’s horsepower Falcon 9. Source