SpaceX has released the official specifications and photos of the next-generation Starlink V2 Mini satellites, scheduled to launch on February 27. The new satellites are the future of SpaceX’s Starlink series. The SpaceX mission, Starlink 6-1, will deliver 21 Starlink V2 satellites into low Earth orbit. The satellites will operate under the Starlink Gen2 FCC license, which allows SpaceX to launch up to 7,500 of the company’s nominal 29,998 satellites currently.

Initially, it was reported that each Starlink V2 Mini satellite will have two large solar panels measuring 52.5 square meters and a “wingspan” of about 30 meters. SpaceX has already built and delivered dozens of full-size Starlink V2 satellites to Starbase in Texas. They were also expected to weigh between 1.25 and 2 tons each and provide almost 10 times the bandwidth of V1.5 satellites. Initially, they were planned to launch using Starship, but the launch of the massive rocket was delayed many times, so SpaceX developed a lightweight version of the new satellite that retains its original features.

Knowing that Falcon 9 will carry 21 V2 Mini satellites and the rocket’s current payload is 17.4 tons, Teslarati concludes that each V2 Mini satellite probably weighs no more than 830 kg.

More importantly, SpaceX said each Starlink V2 Mini satellite will have more powerful antennas and access to a new set of frequencies. While the number of satellites Falcon 9 can put into orbit has nearly tripled, the 21 V2 Mini satellites will add approximately 50% more efficiency than the approximately 57 V1.5 satellites.

Larger satellites mean it takes three times as many Falcon 9 launches to expand Starlink V2 coverage, but the areas covered can serve several times as many customers or provide much more bandwidth for the same number of customers.