--- title: "SpaceX Will Build Starlink-Like Constellation Around Mars, Its President Says" description: "In a recent interview, SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell laid out the company's plans to bring its Starlink broadband satellite technology to Mars." date: "2020-10-22" modified: "2020-10-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-starlink-like-constellation-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "elon musk" - "mars" - "SpaceX" - "starlink" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Will Build Starlink-Like Constellation Around Mars, Its President Says ![In a recent interview, SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell laid out the company's plans to bring its Starlink broadband satellite technology to Mars.]() *\Image: ESA\* ## Marslink It's no secret that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to [build a city on Mars](). But in a recent interview with *TIME* magazine, SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell laid out the company's plans to bring its Starlink broadband satellite constellation technology to the Red Planet as well. "Once we take people to Mars, they're going to need a capability to communicate," Shotwell said during [a previously recorded ]()[interview]() with *TIME*. "In fact I think it will be even more critical to have a constellation like Starlink around Mars." ## Interplanetnet But a constellation around Mars won't be enough, Shotwell said. "And then of course you need to connect the two planets as well, so we make sure we have robust telecom between Mars and back on Earth," she added. ## Into Focus Shotwell also waxed philosophical about the importance of an interplanetary civilization. "We are not giving up on Earth when we talk about building capability to move humanity to other planets," she said. "It's actually just giving humanity another shot in case there were to be some horrible event on Earth; to move people and save humankind by allowing them a second place, a second Earth to live." Progress has been swift, she argued. "Elon founded this company with the entire purpose of building this transportation capability that would allow humans to move to other planets," Shotwell said. "I remember when I was interviewing with Elon in 2002, and he had such an ambitious goal. It sounded absolutely insane at the time, and now almost 20 years later, it doesn't actually sound that insane." **READ MORE:** [LIVE: The Future of Space Exploration | TIME100 Talks]() \[*TIME*\] **More on the interview:** *[SpaceX President: Starship Could Help Pick Up Space Junk]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()