SpaceX has extended a technological helping hand to Hawaii in the wake of the catastrophic wildfires that ravaged Maui and in particular, the small town of Lahaina.
According to a post on Linkedin by Red Lightning, an emergency and disaster relief service based in Arizona, the group says 20 Starlink kits have been deployed in Lahaina to provide internet connections to those affected by the wildfire. The group shared several photos of its volunteers setting up remote WiFi stations, saying that it has successfully set up “multiple” stations and will continue to set up more stations in the coming days.
The help is also coming directly from SpaceX itself. The company took to X on Wednesday to announce it has provided over 650 Starlink kits that have been distributed to more than 40 organizations on the island.
To help provide connectivity in Maui, the Starlink team has shipped and distributed more than 650 kits to 40+ organizations on the island supporting recovery efforts https://t.co/nO62ihDxx5
— Starlink (@Starlink) August 16, 2023
What makes Starlink so useful is its ability to provide uninterrupted internet service through an array of satellites orbiting Earth at low altitudes, and not ground-based infrastructure that can be damaged and destroyed during events like this wildfire. The pre-connected equipment within the Starlink kits enables rapid deployment, ensuring that internet connectivity is reestablished with minimal downtime.
This isn’t the first time Starlink has been deployed to restore internet connectivity for victims after natural disasters. Starlink kits have been used to reconnect communities in Germany affected by flooding, residents in Kentucky following a tornado, as well as the island of Tonga following a devastating volcanic eruption, and more.
SpaceX’s Starlink supporting connectivity after New Zealand’s Cyclone Gabrielle
