Cozy kitties: SpaceX’s self-heating Starlink satellite dishes attracting cats

Elon Musk has managed to tap yet another underserved market through Starlink’s satellite internet service.

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Informal market research indicates that the self-heating dishes are quite popular among cats, and social media has the posts to prove it, Gizmodo reported.

“Starlink works great until the cats find out that the dish gives off a little heat on cold days,” Starlink user Aaron Taylor tweeted recently.

The photo that accompanied Taylor’s Dec. 31 post showed five felines huddled on, and in no obvious hurry to move from, a ground-level Starlink dish.

According to Tesmanian, the dish’s Snow Melt Mode is the most likely culprit. The feature, launched in 2020, allows self-heating capabilities to prevent snow build-up from interfering with the satellite’s signal, the Tesla- and SpaceX-focused news outlet reported.

Taylor was quick to note via Twitter that the cats in question have ample warm and indoor alternatives to suit their lounging needs, all of which they ignore in favor of the $499 terminal.

“As any cat owner can testify, that tracks,” Gizmodo wrote.

According to the technology news outlet, SpaceX has deployed roughly 1,800 low-orbit satellites to date as part of its goal to deliver high-speed internet to rural areas via Starlink, and long-range plans call for the deployment of 42,000 by mid-2027.

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