No longer involved in American politics, Elon Musk is planning to expand his SpaceX project into Switzerland.
More concretely, he has his eye on a small Valais community of Leuk, where SpaceX wants to set up 40 antennas to relay Starlink satellites — “a major ground station in the global network.”
As a reminder, Musk’a company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, with the goal of revolutionising space travel.
On May 28th, the company applied to the Federal Communications Office for a building permit and satellite radio-communications license — the first step towards turning this project into reality.
What exactly is being planned?
The planned antennas are approximately 2.5 metres high and of the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) type.
They will serve as ground stations for the Starlink network, enabling the connection between the satellites and the terrestrial internet.
If the project is implemented, it would be the first Starlink ground station in Switzerland.
There are currently around 150 such stations worldwide, but with its 40 antennas, the facility in Leuk would be among the largest in Europe.
By comparison, the stations in Fawley, Wherstead, and Woodwalton, in the UK have 32 antennas each.
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‘Boost to our economy’
Leuk’s residents have until June 28th to submit any objections to this project, but the town’s mayor, Alain Bregy, is enthusiastic about this prospect.
“Leuk doesn’t have many businesses and SpaceX’s taxes will boost our economy,” he said.
“SpaceX can make a big difference here,” he added.
If everything goes according to plan, Leuk’s Starlink equipment could be operational as early as this fall.
