Mars-themed secrets are hidden in the Starlink hardware, the app, and even the terms of service of SpaceX’s satellite internet service. What do they all mean?
You may know Elon Musk for his purchase of Twitter, his Tesla brand of EVs, or his ownership of SpaceX and Starlink internet. The outspoken billionaire is involved in many ambitious businesses and projects here on Earth, but his moonshot idea is a little farther away: Musk wants to colonize Mars.
Yep, the richest man on this planet wants to send humans to live on our nearest neighbor in the solar system. It’s a goal that he’s been quite vocal about for many years, and it has informed the creation of several of his companies, from SpaceX to The Boring Company. But it’s more than just a long-term goal and the idea behind his Occupy Mars T-shirts.
As a Starlink reviewer (and customer) for several years now, I’ve stumbled across many signs of this interplanetary ambition all over the equipment and software for Starlink. From the hardware to the app, and even the terms of service, Starlink is brimming with cryptic clues and oblique references to Musk’s Mars obsessions. Here’s what I’ve found so far.Circuit-Board Slogans
When the first Starlink dish made its way to beta testers in 2020, some exceptionally curious users decided to open it up and see what was inside. These dish teardowns provide an unusual look at the inner workings of the Starlink dish, which clearly weren’t made to be seen by most users. But that doesn’t mean there was nothing there to see.
Cybersecurity researcher Lennert Wouters pried open a V1 Starlink dish to get his hands on the security firmware of the terminal, and posted images online, which uncovered a hidden message.
Printed on the circuit board that makes up the antenna array for the Starlink dish is the phrase “Made on Earth by humans.” It’s a curious phrase, to be sure, but not one that’s entirely unexpected coming from a man who plans to take human life beyond our home planet. In fact, the same slogan has been spotted in Tesla vehicles, including the Tesla Roadster that Musk launched into space.Red-Planet Jacks
Start examining some newer Starlink hardware, like the latest Gen 3 Wi-Fi 6 router, and you’ll find the phrase popping up again. If you peek inside the Ethernet ports on the back of the Wi-Fi 6 router, you’ll see bits of curious text (and more) at the back of the port sockets. If you look closely (and you’ll need to, because it’s very small), you can just make out the words “Made on Earth by humans” inside one of them.
That’s not the only slogan Musk has hidden in the most recent Starlink gear. Take a look at a second Ethernet port on the router, and you’ll find the words “To Mars and beyond.”
Examine the third socket, and you won’t find any text. But you will find a very small stylized image of a SpaceX rocket launch.
