SpaceX manufactures over one million Starlink user terminals

Elon Musk said last week on Twitter that SpaceX has so far manufactured more than one million Starlink user terminals, which connect to the company's satellites in orbit.

Starlink can be an option for those living in remote areas who don't have access to affordable broadband, according to Business Insider.

SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer founded by Musk, has an expansive, high-speed satellite internet network in space called Starlink. The satellites in orbit envelope the Earth and offer broadband connectivity to users — especially those in rural areas without fixed-line connections.

SpaceX launched its first satellites in May 2019 and now has more than 2,900 satellites in low-earth orbit. The goal is to have up to 42,000 satellites by mid-2027.

The satellites are strapped onto SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and blasted into orbit, usually releasing 60 per launch.

When the service began, SpaceX said in an email to Starlink beta test subscribers they should expect speeds between 50 and 150 megabits per second, with intermittent outages. But some users hit much higher speeds. Starlink has even reached speeds of 175 Mbps in freezing temperatures, high winds and snow.