Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has announced plans to launch next-generation Starlink satellites that will orbit closer to Earth in order to reduce latency for users. Currently, Starlink satellites are orbiting at 550 kilometers, but Musk aims to bring the next generation down to 350 kilometers.

By shortening the distance between the satellites and Earth, Musk hopes to decrease the latency for Starlink users even further. The median latency for Starlink users has already been reduced to 28 milliseconds, but Musk wants to push it below 20 milliseconds by deploying satellites at lower altitudes.

During a live stream event, Musk highlighted the importance of reducing latency for activities such as online gaming and video conferencing. He explained that the speed of light poses a limitation on latency, but by placing the satellites closer to Earth, the latency could potentially be reduced to 5-6 milliseconds.

SpaceX has previously hinted at plans to operate up to 19,440 next-generation satellites at altitudes ranging from 340 to 360 kilometers. However, before proceeding with the launch, SpaceX needs clearance from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Recently, the FCC expressed concerns about the impact of lower-altitude Starlink satellites on operations of inhabitable space stations, such as the International Space Station, which orbits at approximately 400 kilometers. The agency has requested more details from SpaceX to address these concerns before approving the operation of future Starlink satellites.