This startup just sent the first SMS from space to a smartphone

Lynk, an aerospace startup, just achieved a big milestone in space communication. The startup succeeded in sending the first SMS to an Android smartphone from space. The company had successfully connected a satellite in low-Earth orbit to an ordinary mobile phone on Earth. Lynk feels that this step could help in its mission to provide broadband services directly to over five billion mobile phones on the planet, everywhere.
“This is a game changer for the billions of people who own a mobile phone, for the billions who do not have affordable connectivity, and for the entire mobile communications industry. Lynk makes the impossible possible. In the near future, you will stay connected everywhere. All the time,” said Charles Miller, co-founder and CEO of Lynk.
Charles Miller is a 30-year space industry veteran and serial space entrepreneur who previously held senior positions at NASA, including as the agency’s senior advisor for commercial space.
The test took place on February 24, 2020, using the firm’s patented “cell tower in space” technology — low-Earth orbit nanosatellites that connect directly to unmodified mobile phones. Lynk has successfully repeated the test multiple times, including with independent observers.