On June 29, 2021, Elon Musk spoke at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. He said SpaceX presently has about 70,000 active beta testers of the Starlink satellites in 12 countries, and that full, global commercial service will begin in August. Beginning next month, anyone who purchases a user terminal for $500 and pays the $100 per month subscription fee will have access to high-speed internet by satellite from their home or vehicle anywhere in the world except the polar regions. More than half a million people have already put down a deposit.
In his talk, Musk revealed that the solar array for each satellite generates more than 3,000 watts of actual power. It is these solar arrays that are disturbing both visual and infrared astronomy worldwide. And it is the radiation of (so far) more than 5 megawatts of combined power, focused into (ultimately) millions of powerful beams, that is radically disturbing the electromagnetic environment that we live in, that we evolved in, that surrounds and nurtures us, and that generates the electricity that runs through our veins, guiding our growth, health and life.
Musk also spoke about the gigantic Starship that SpaceX has built, which will be able to lift 150 tons into orbit, that he plans to use to build a base on the Moon and a city on Mars, and that will be ready for its first test launch in just a few months.
He also spoke about what drives him. His goal with SpaceX, he said, is “to extend consciousness beyond earth.” His goal with Tesla, he said, is “to show that life is good on earth, with sustainable energy.” And his goal with his newest company, Neuralink, he said, is “long-term AI/human symbiosis.”
