Antenna for Starlink is mounted on the car bonnet?

Founded by Elon Musk, SpaceX is a space development company that succeeded in launching the first civilian spacecraft in the United States in collaboration with NASA. In addition to developing rockets and spacecraft, SpaceX is also developing Starlink, a satellite internet service that launches more than 10,000 satellites into Earth’s orbit. However, there is a person who has installed an antenna to use this Starlink on the car bonnet, which is attracting attention.

This fact was posted on the official Facebook account of the California Highway Patrol in the United States, saying that they found a car equipped with a Starlink antenna on the highway. The California Highway Patrol said that they stopped a car with something in its bonnet and contacted the driver and were told that it only obstructs view when turning right. California Vehicle Code Section 26708 recommends that you do not place objects on the bonnet because it is illegal to place objects above the bonnet to obstruct your view. The driver who installed the Starlink antenna on the car bonnet said that it was installed for business use.

Meanwhile, SpaceX is applying to the regulatory authorities to allow Starlink to be used in automobiles, and it is first applying for loading goods on trucks, ships, and aircraft. However, it is expected that it will take some time to use the Starlink service in general vehicles. Elon Musk tweeted that he couldn’t connect Tesla cars to Starlink because the user terminal was too big for airplanes, ships, heavy trucks and campers. Related information can be found here.