Starlink is planning a new ruggedized satellite dish. The dish would operate in hotter and colder temperatures and avoid the “thermal shutdown” problem that residential dishes have in extreme temperatures.
In a filing on Friday, SpaceX requested permission from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to deploy the “high-performance fixed earth stations”, otherwise known as HP terminals. (via PCMag)
The HP terminal is the second rugged dish developed by SpaceX. SpaceX designed their first dish for use in vehicles, ships and aircraft.
As per the filing, the HP terminals:
- can operate at greater extremes
- have improved snow/ice melt capability, and
- can withstand a greater number of thermal cycles.
SpaceX hopes to deploy the new HP terminals throughout the United States. However, it is not clear if the company would deploy the dishes outside of the US.
SpaceX did not provide the operating temperature range for the HP Terminals in the filing.
Currently, standard Starlink terminals have an operating temperature range of -30 degrees Celsius to +50 degrees Celsius, limiting usability in some areas of the world.
It is not clear when SpaceX will roll this new dish out to consumers as of yet. However, the HP terminals will first roll out to enterprise clients if the filing is correct.
