SpaceX plans to continue Starlink beta testing into 2021

US-based commercial company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has reportedly revealed its plan to continue Starlink beta testing into next year.

The company is developing a low latency, broadband internet system. It will offer consumers access to high-speed broadband internet, even in locations where it is unreliable, expensive or unavailable.

Since last year, the company has already launched nearly 900 Starlink satellites to orbit.

SpaceX had targeted service in the Northern US and Canada this year, with plans to extend it to near-global coverage by next year.

SpaceX engineer Kate Tice was quoted by Reuters as saying: “At our current pace, we expect to expand our beta in a notable way very early next year, in the late January – February timeframe.”

The company secured regulatory approval from Canadian authorities to commence beta testing Starlink in the country this month.

Earlier this week, SpaceX launched its 16th Starlink mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

It marked SpaceX’s 100th Falcon 9 launch and 23rd flight this year.

In October, SpaceX launched 14th batch of Starlink internet satellites onboard the reusable, two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

During internet performance tests presented to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Starlink showed download speeds of between 102Mbps to 103Mbps, upload speeds of 40.5Mbps to 42Mbps.