Raphael Thys
A vehicle with the new Starlink RV hardware attached.
SpaceX announced it is now accepting orders for its new "flat high-performance" Starlink dish for moving vehicles.
In a Tuesday tweet, the private space firm explained that the new offering allows customers to "enjoy high-speed, low-latency internet while on the move!"
The new type of dish is installed on top of the vehicle and its positioning makes it more streamlined and also means it can connect with more Starlink satellites at any given time, SpaceX explains on its website.
New Starlink dish 'works on any moving land object'
The new hardware is essentially an add-on for the Starlink RV service, announced in May this year, which allows users to connect to the internet while on the move — the service has enabled several users to live an enviable off-grid lifestyle.
SpaceX CEO added on Twitter that the new option "works on any moving land object." The newly-announced flat high-performance hardware is part of SpaceX's push to upgrade its Starlink service worldwide by bringing it to more countries — it is currently available in more than 30 countries worldwide and will come to many more over the next year or two — and also to moving vehicles, including RVs, cruise ships, private jets, and passenger airliners.
Works on any moving land object https://t.co/Xu4qKJW4D9
On its website, SpaceX explained that deliveries for the new flat high-performance Starlink dish can be expected by December 2022 and the new hardware is priced at $2,500 USD. That's a steep price, coming in at four times the amount customers will pay for a standard Starlink dish. Then there's the requirement to pay the Starlink RV monthly fee for in-motion use, which comes in at $135.
SpaceX says Flat High Performance is designed for those looking to have a permanent installation on their vehicle. The dish offers enhanced GPS capabilities for in-motion use, the private space firm adds.
The hardware includes a Wedge Mount kit to install the dish at an eight-degree angle for water run-off. It's worth noting as well that the new dish does have improved weather resistance and a 1.7x better snow melt capability than the standard dish.
Expanding Starlink
The latest Starlink update comes only a few days after SpaceX also announced Starlink Aviation, which brings 350 Mbps internet to private jets, even during take-off and landing. Aside from RV and Aviation, SpaceX also recently announced Starlink Maritime, as well as deals with the Royal Caribbean Group and Hawaiian Airlines to provide WiFi for their cruise ship and airliner passengers.
SpaceX has been praised in recent months for helping connect troops and civilians in wartorn Ukraine using its Starlink service — CEO Elon Musk recently announced that keeping Starlink online over the country was costing the company approximately $20 million monthly. Musk has also courted controversy, however, by suggesting Ukraine should cede Crimea to Russia in a bid to de-escalate the war.
SpaceX's frequent Starlink launches have also drawn a warning from the company's biggest partner, NASA. The U.S. space agency recently stated that satellite mega-constellations — Musk recently announced that Starlink will soon account for two-thirds of all active satellites — could impede its ability to detect hazardous asteroids on a collision course with Earth.