On February 2, the FAA issued a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Nextant Aerospace for installation of SpaceX’s Starlink satcom system on the Bombardier Global Express, XRS, 6000, and 6500. Nextant previously obtained an STC for Starlink installation on the Gulfstream G650.
In September, following the G650 STC, Nextant sister company Flexjet announced plans to work with Nextant on Starlink STCs for Flexjet’s Embraer Phenom 300, Praetor 500 and 600, and Bombardier Challenger 350/3500 fleet. According to Nextant, it is now working on STCs for the rest of Gulfstream’s large-cabin jets, and by the end of the year, it plans to obtain STCs for the Challengers and Praetors, followed by light jets such as the Phenom 300.
These Starlink STCs are engineered by Nextant, but it isn’t installing Starlink systems for third parties—just for Flexjet. Third-party requests will be forwarded to Starlink’s approved vendor network, according to Nextant. “We expect to issue more announcements about STCs and other OEMs,” the company said.
Starlink equipment costs $150,000 and service is $25,000 per month. The hardware consists of an aero terminal (a phased-array electronically steered antenna that mounts on top of the fuselage), a power supply, and two wireless access points. The entire system weighs 65 to 70 pounds but will be “significantly” lighter for super-midsize and light jets, the company told AIN. A large-cabin jet Starlink installation takes 15 to 20 days.
System speeds are download of 40 to 220 Mbps and upload 8 to 25 Mbps, with less than 99 ms latency. Starlink provides global coverage via its network of low-earth-orbit satellites, and the service includes unlimited data with no service contract, a five-year hardware warranty, and dedicated support.