HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA — Following up on his plans to transport one million people to Mars by 2050, Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, has now declared that it will also send hundreds of satellites to Mars to provide the colonists with space internet.
SpaceX is currently building a Starlink mega constellation of small communication satellites around Earth, and has already launched around 800 of these satellites into low Earth orbit.
This mega constellation of satellites will eventually cover every part of Earth, and Elon Musk said it will give all people on Earth access to low-cost broadband internet.
According to a recent interview with TIME Magazine, the company now plans to build the same mega constellation around Mars, to provide the million future citizens of Mars with space-based internet.
Shotwell said the Starlink concept would also create a robust communication link between Mars and Earth, providing an interplanetary internet bridge.
This ambitious satellite plan for Mars is typical of Elon Musk, who is spending big money on creating the rockets and spaceships required to get people to Mars.