The ACI Jet avionics installation and interiors and completions teams have returned to service the company’s first installation of a SpaceX Starlink satcom system in a Bombardier Global 7500. Consisting of a Starlink electronically steered antenna, router, and power supply, the installed package weighs about 48 pounds. Installation required “minimal structural modifications,” according to the company, and “minor alterations to the interior cabinetry were necessary.”
“With more installations lined up, it was essential that we delivered a flawless product to our customer,” said ACI Jet senior v-p of aircraft maintenance David Jensen. “This installation put our repair station model to the test, stacking teams with complementary skill sets together on assigned aircraft throughout the installation process, and it proved the concept with flying colors.”
Supplemental type certificates are available to business aviation Starlink dealers for various Gulfstream and Bombardier models and Textron Aviation’s King Air 200 and 300 series, with more types under development.
More than 6,000 Starlink satellites in low-earth orbit provide high-speed internet service to airborne and terrestrial users. SpaceX publishes download speeds at 40 to 220 Mbps and uploads at eight to 25 Mbps. System cost is $150,000, plus installation, and service prices range from 20 GB for $2,000 per month (plus $100/GB additional) to global unlimited for $10,000 per month.