Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. "This system, if successful, would provide people in low to moderate population densities around the world with affordable high-speed internet access, including many who have never had internet access before," he added. Musk revealed the broad outlines of Starlink in 2015, but SpaceX has been relatively quiet about the constellation since then. Last week, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai announced that he had endorsed Starlink, but the plan has yet to garner official FCC approval. The FCC has approved the requests of other companies that aim to establish big satellite-internet constellations, including OneWeb, Space Norway and Telesat. Today's launch also featured SpaceX's first attempt to pluck a Falcon 9's falling nose cone out of the sky using a speedy, net-equipped boat named Mr. Steven. The attempt failed, barely: Mr. Steven was within a few hundred meters of the nose cone when it splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, Musk said today. The $6 million nose cone, also known as a payload fairing, appeared to survive its journey to space and arrive back in good shape, Musk said. Photos from Mr. Steven show the fairing bobbing on the Pacific's waves, without any serious damage visible. SpaceX wants to reuse fairings, just as it reuses Falcon 9 first stages, to lower the cost of spaceflight and help open the heavens to exploration. Today's Falcon 9 launch featured a first stage that had flown once before, back in August 2017.