SpaceX has filed an application with the FCC to launch a total of 4,425 satellites into space. These satellites would be used to bring high-speed internet access to the entire world.
Elon Musk first announced this internet plan back in January. The core of the plan was to build a network of satellites in orbit, about 750 miles up, that would allow for faster communication speeds and global internet access. The plan was estimated to cost approximately $10 billion.
On Wednesday, SpaceX publicly filed an application with the FCC seeking permission to move forward with this plan. The public filing contains several details about how exactly SpaceX's internet plan would work.
The proposal calls for a total of 4,425 satellites, with an initial launch of 800 to cover the United States. The network will then be gradually expanded to cover the entire globe.
Each satellite will weigh approximately 850 pounds and will be the size of a small car. SpaceX plans to launch these satellites aboard its Falcon 9 and upcoming Falcon Heavy rockets, with up to 50 satellites per rocket. This means that the initial deployment of 800 satellites would require a minimum of 16 launches to complete, and all 4,425 satellites would take at least 90 launches.
4,425 satellites is a lot of satellites. By comparison, there are fewer than 1,500 active satellites currently in orbit. SpaceX would singlehandedly quadruple that number. That doesn't even mention the amount of space debris also in orbit, which SpaceX will also have to contend with.
Still, Elon Musk is pretty tenacious, so if anyone can build a massive global satellite network and bring high-speed internet coverage to the whole globe, it's him.