Every week, SpaceX launches satellites to construct out its ever-growing constellation of Starlink satellites. That gives broadband web service to customers on the bottom.
However Starlink satellites are just one a part of the equation. Starlink customers additionally have to have their arms on considered one of SpaceX’s satellite tv for pc web kits to allow them to attach from wherever with a superb view of the sky.
SpaceX just lately posted a video on X that provides a glimpse at how these kits are made within the firm’s manufacturing unit exterior of Austin, Texas. The video exhibits a number of close-ups of the manufacturing unit ground, the place machines manufacture parts for the usual Starlink equipment on what seems like automated sections of the meeting line.
“Uncooked plastic pellets are available, uncooked aluminum is available in, and we make these into the Starlink kits, after which ship them proper out to prospects houses,” John Federspiel, senior director for Starlink product engineering, says within the video. “Proper now, we’re producing 15,000 a day straight out of the manufacturing unit.”
The corporate additionally notes that the manufacturing unit is lower than two years outdated, and in that point, it is gone from zero to producing over 70,000 kits per week whereas using over 1,000 staff.
Positioned within the Bastrop neighborhood, about 30 miles east of Austin, the video additionally particulars Starlink’s plans to ramp up manufacturing within the manufacturing unit, which the corporate is at the moment increasing.
“We’ll add over 1,000,000 sq. toes of producing house over the course of this 12 months, and permit us to proceed to insource extra of our manufacturing processes,” Alexandra Noe, senior director of Starlink manufacturing, says within the video, “so we will proceed to go from uncooked materials to accomplished equipment throughout the partitions of this manufacturing unit.”
Starlink says the enlargement will handle the rising demand for Starlink web entry, because the earlier iteration of the manufacturing line was already working at max capability.
SpaceX initially introduced their plans for a worldwide satellite tv for pc web mission again in 2015. Starlink now produces two sorts of kits for the patron market, which use an antenna to connect with Starlink’s satellites.
As of Feb. 2025, over 7,000 Starlink satellites are in orbit. The corporate says greater than 5 million folks at the moment use their web companies.
