Tesla's Elon Musk working on launching satellites for global internet connectivity
10 Nov 2014
Tesla Motor founder Elon Musk is working on a $1-billion plan that involves launching 700 different satellites into space The Wall Street Journal reported.
Apart from Tesla, Musk is also the founder of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), which designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, could provide Musk's satellite plans a ready launch platform.
SpaceX has so far sent supplies to the International Space Station, taken up satellites for numerous commercial customers, and run public tests of its reusable rockets.
Musk is working with Greg Wyler, who was previously working on Google's satellite initiative that had similar plans for providing global internet access.
The satellites, around half the size of the communications satellites typically launched today, could be used for providing internet connectivity around the world.
Musk's proposed web of 700 satellites is ten times the size of the largest satellite constellation currently deployed for accessing the internet.
According to report, those familiar with Musk's plan had indicated that the idea was still in its very early stages and may not even take-off. Not only would the satellite web idea be potentially costly, but such a move would also attract regulatory scrutiny.
