Elon Musk tweets video of SpaceX’s first broadband satellites in space

Enlarge / SpaceX's first Starlink broadband satellites. (credit: Elon Musk)

SpaceX founder Elon Musk today tweeted an eight-second video of the company's first broadband satellites, saying they are now "deployed and communicating to Earth stations."

First two Starlink demo satellites, called Tintin A & B, deployed and communicating to Earth stations

The demonstration satellites, named Tintin A and Tintin B, are being used to test SpaceX's future Starlink broadband service. Once all the necessary testing has been completed, the launch of operational satellites could begin sometime in 2019.

SpaceX's ultimate goal is to provide gigabit broadband worldwide, but the first tasks for these demo satellites are a bit simpler. Musk also tweeted that the satellites "will attempt to beam 'hello world'... when they pass near LA" on Friday morning.

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