SpaceX Starlink leader Ben Longmier exits after Dirct-to-Cell success

Ben Longmier, who served as Senior Director of Starlink Satellite Engineering at SpaceX, left the company. He shared this news on X (formerly Twitter) and announced that he is stepping away to focus on family after years of intense work on advanced projects.

Longmier has an impressive background. He co-founded Swarm Technologies, a company that built small satellites for connecting devices worldwide. SpaceX acquired Swarm in 2021, bringing Longmier and his expertise into the Starlink team. At SpaceX, he quickly rose to lead critical parts of the satellite program.

His biggest achievement was directing the Direct to Cell (DTC) program. This technology lets regular smartphones connect directly to Starlink satellites without any hardware or software additions.

Users can send texts, make calls, and access data from almost anywhere on Earth, even in remote areas or during disasters. For now, users can only use text messaging.

Longmier noted that the service now works across six continents with hundreds of satellites in orbit. It has already proved valuable, keeping people connected during hurricanes when ground networks fail. The system works by linking phones to satellites traveling at incredible speeds while orbiting roughly 700 kilometers above Earth. SpaceX built this in partnership with mobile carriers like T-Mobile.

Ben Longmeir, Senior Director of Satellite Engineering at SpaceX announced his exit from the company (Source – X/Twitter)

Another major contribution came from Longmier’s team, redesigning the Hall thrusters that keep satellites in position. Traditional thrusters used expensive gases like krypton or xenon. His group switched to argon, a much cheaper and more abundant gas.

The new design is more efficient, delivers higher performance, and uses about 90% fewer parts. This makes satellites simpler to build, more reliable, and less costly to produce at scale. Photos shared in his post showed neat stacks of these redesigned thrusters ready for assembly, a sign of the program’s maturity.

He explained the choice simply: after years of long hours and high-pressure deadlines, he wants to prioritize time with his family. He expressed deep gratitude to his team and SpaceX Founder and CEO, Elon Musk, for the opportunity to work on these technological advancements.

For now, Longmier has not shared any plans for his next role but mentioned that he is now interested in working in the battery storage and energy collection sector.

Ben’s departure comes at a moment when Starlink’s direct-to-cell service is expanding rapidly, raising questions about who’ll next lead this program.