Starlink, a global satellite communications (satcom) player successfully launched 21 low earth orbit (LEO) satellites on September 25, 2023. The launch took place via the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 4:48 AM EDT (0848 GMT; 1:48 AM local California time) from the Vanderberg Space Force Base in California. The company shared the live feed of the broadcast through its official handle on X (formerly Twitter). This is another boost to Starlink's expanding global constellation of LEO satellites that aim to offer high-speed broadband access in regions and terrains where it is hard to deploy fiber cables.
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First reported by Space dot com, this launch marked the 17th flight for a reused Falcom 9 first stage. Starlink's mega constellation of LEO satellites has more than 4,750 operational satellites with plans for further expansion in the future. Starlink is eyeing to expand into the Indian market in the near future. There are ample opportunities to grow in India, but the company will have to go through serious work to get the necessary licenses.
One of the major challenges for Starlink is getting regulatory approvals in different countries. This is because while the service of the company remains the same in every country, the laws surrounding the service are different for each country. So the satcom company has to spend a lot of resources and time to get necessary approvals in all of the countries to start offering services.
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There were reports online saying that the government is considering granting the GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) license to Starlink. This would push the company on the path towards launching its services in India. But before that, it will still need permission from the Department of Space (DoS) and other wings of the central government.
