Lights in sky cause confusion for witnesses

CULPRIT TURNS OUT TO BE ELON MUSK

- CARL EVE

PLYMOUTH people were left amazed – and confused – by a line of lights in the sky last weekend.

While many were wondering what was going on, others quickly realised it was Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites.

Last Saturday, Mr Musk’s SpaceX company – which began launching Starlink spacecraft in 2019 – carried out two launches carrying a total of 44 satellites.

The project aims to provide high-speed internet almost everywhere in the world, for those who wish to pay for it. Starlink uses a web of satellites in the Earth’s orbit, around 550km from the surface.

The project has regularly hit the international headlines since 2022, when it was used to bring internet access to Ukraine following the invasion by Russia – although it has since been revealed that Mr Musk’s firm has refused to allow Starlink to support Ukrainian offences to attack Russian forces in the contested/occupied Crimea region.