Duncan Aviation’s satellite avionics shop in Houston has completed its first installation of a SpaceX Starlink satcom system. The low-earth-orbit Starlink constellation provides high-speed connectivity globally.

The Duncan Aviation installation was in a Bombardier Global XRS using a supplemental type certificate (STC) developed by Nextant Aerospace. The Houston satellite has seven additional Starlink installations on its schedule, and two of these will be for the Global XRS customer.

“Although this was our first installation, the avionics and structures teams were impressed by the well-organized STC and kit that allowed us to perform the installation well within the three weeks we had allotted,” said Houston satellite manager Mark Winter. “We expected to encounter some problems since it was our first Starlink installation, but it couldn’t have gone more smoothly.”

According to Duncan Aviation, because Starlink is an internet-only system, the installation process is simpler. “While it does have the capability to integrate with cabin management systems or any other system on the aircraft, it doesn’t need to. Using their own devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, passengers may connect to their office’s virtual private network, stream media, play games, or Facetime with family and enjoy uninterrupted coverage around the world.”