Is that a bird? A plane? A flying Tesla? Many Australians didn’t know what to make of the floating lights they spotted in the sky the other night. And with all this talk about UFOs, who can blame them?
“I was fishing at Huntleys Point and then I looked in the sky and I just see some like airplane lights,” one man said describing his encounter.
“I’m not sure [what they were], but there were about 20 of them traveling in one line and it was very weird,” another person added.
Unfortunately, this mystery doesn’t appear to be all that mysterious, and it looks like the case has actually been closed. Reports confirm that the twinkling lights spotted by citizens from Australia to Wales were ultimately just a batch of satellites from Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite project.
Sydney Authorities Debunk the UFO Sightings
After multiple reports of the strange phenomenon, officials from the Sydney Observatory decided to set the record straight, debunking any UFO sightings. Elon’s Starlink satellites have become commonplace in skies all over the world, and scientists only expect there to be more in the future. According to astrophysicist Dr. Brad Tucker, launches will only become more commonplace in the coming years.
“Instead of seeing stars everywhere, you’ll see satellites everywhere,” he says.
Elon’s ninth batch of Starlink Satellites launched successfully from the Kennedy Space Center from a Falcon 9 rocket recently. It contained nearly 50 table-sized satellites on board, all of which were successfully deployed following the launch.
Nearly 2,000 satellites form the Starlink constellation in the sky right now. In the future, though, Musk hopes to see a number much closer to 40,000. So you might be wondering, what do they do?
Starlink Satellites Promote Internet Access in Rural Areas
Starlink Satellites aim to provide internet access to the rural areas that might not otherwise get it. More specifically, the low-laying satellites aim to provide low-cost yet efficient broadband internet. The project already helps people in 23 different countries across the globe and continues to expand. Musk estimates that the project could help over 3 billion people with its expansion.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) already approved initial plans to expand and launch over 4,000 more satellites into orbit.
“Once fully deployed, the SpaceX System will pass over virtually all parts of the Earth’s surface and therefore, in principle, have the ability to provide ubiquitous global service,” the FCC said.
And that’s not the only thing on Starlink’s agenda. According to Elon Musk himself, the Starlink project could also lead to the colonization of Mars in the long term through its revenue and science. As it currently stands, the project’s five-year plan is expected to foot a bill of nearly $10 billion dollars.
