SpaceX looks to build next-generation Starlink internet satellites after launching 1,000 so far

SpaceX is preparing to begin production of the next-generation of its Starlink internet satellites, according to a company job posting, with the company having deployed more than 1,000 first-generation satellites in orbit to date.

A posting on the company’s careers page, open at the time of publishing on Friday, says SpaceX is looking to hire a lead software engineer for Starlink hardware testing, specifically to create a “define and lead [the] test software roadmap for Starlink v1.5 and v2.0 production.”

The company did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the job posting.

Starlink is SpaceX’s ambitious project to build an interconnected internet network with thousands of satellites, known in the space industry as a constellation, designed to deliver high-speed internet to consumers anywhere on the planet. The Federal Communications Commission in November 2018 approved SpaceX to launch 11,943 satellites, with the company aiming to deploy 4,425 satellites in orbit by 2024.

Elon Musk’s venture has so far has been building v0.9 and v1.0 Starlink satellites, with 1,023 satellites deployed over the course of 18 launches as of its most recent mission on Sunday.

The company launches as many as 60 Starlink satellites at a time with its Falcon 9 rockets, but it has also included the satellites as “rideshares” on missions for other customers. SpaceX said in August that it is “building 120 satellites per month,” and company officials told the FCC last week that it continues to ramp up its launch rate to match that production.

It’s unclear how the new generation of v1.5 and v2.0 satellites differ from those launched to date.

SpaceX began adding “sun visors” to its Starlink satellites in June, as the company sought to address a public outcry from astronomers that the numerous spacecraft were appearing as bright streaks across images taken by telescopes.