The move comes as Ukraine's internet service has been disrupted by Russia's invasion.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his space company's Starlink satellite internet service is available in Ukraine and more terminals are on the way to use it.
Musk made the statement on Twitter on Saturday (February 26) after a Ukrainian government official asked if SpaceX could provide more Starlink services to the country after Russian troops invaded Ukraine last week. Monitoring group Netblox reported on Thursday (February 24) that Internet services in Ukraine have seen "significant disruption" in the capital city of Kiev and much of the country due to Russian military operations and ensuing fighting.
"@ElonMusk, when you try to colonize Mars - Russia tries to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully descend from space - Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civilians! We ask you to send Ukraine to Starlink Provide stations and ask savvy Russians to stand up to address that," Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who is also the country's minister of digital transformation, asked Musk on Twitter on Saturday.
"Starlink service is now active in Ukraine," replied Musk. "More in the terminal route."
@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand.
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) February 26, 2022
SpaceX's Starlink service provides high-speed broadband access through a vast array of satellites in low Earth orbit and is ultimately designed to provide coverage anywhere on Earth with a focus on remote areas or low-service areas. Has been. Starlink users access space-based Internet service using a satellite dish located at or near the location where the service is required.
Musk and SpaceX recently sent 50 Starlink terminals to the island nation of Tonga in the Pacific Ocean to help reconnect remote villages there after a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami in January Can go The Starlink terminals will help restore communication with some of the areas most affected by the natural disaster.
Since 2019, SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 satellites for the constellation, with up to 14,000 expected in its initial form. The company's most recent launch came on Friday (February 25), when SpaceX launched 50 new Starlink satellites into orbit from a pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
SpaceX's next Starlink mission is expected to lift off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday (March 3) this weekend.