(Credit: umitc via Shutterstock)
SpaceX might be preparing a new Starlink dish to replace the standard model, according to a repair expert in Ukraine who discovered mentions of a "rev5" unit.
The mysterious dish model pops up in the latest firmware release for Starlink, according to Oleg Kutkov, who has previously conducted teardowns of SpaceX's dish hardware.
The current standard Starlink dish, introduced in late 2023, is technically called the V4. In the Starlink firmware releases, however, it appears as "rev4," and Kutkov has documented its various iterations in the software code.
On Thursday, Kutkov announced the discovery of a new “rev5” mentioned in the latest firmware release. “Currently, there are already multiple rev5 boards: _rev5_prod1 and _rev5_prod2,” he told PCMag in an email.
The "prod" naming suggests the dish is entering production. “The current revision is rev5_pez_prod2, meaning the terminal should already be in production and likely to hit the market in Q2 2026,” Kutkov tweeted.
The firmware release also suggests the new standard dish will be smaller, closer in size to the portable Starlink Mini, which fits in a backpack. Kutkov mapped the antenna panel to the mysterious rev5 dish, finding it about 16% longer and 30% taller than the Mini.
The firmware also mentions “rev5_pez_prod2.” Pez is likely a codename for new “front end” module chips for the dish, according to Kutkov. He also told PCMag: “The new board has quite an unusual layout. It seems that most components (such as the CPU, memory, and so on) have moved to the center of the board. You can see these empty spaces in the antenna array. In all previous models, these components are placed on the edge of the PCB (printed circuit board).”
(Credit: Kutkov)The other interesting feature is the apparent lack of a GPS receiver, suggesting the dish may connect to the Starlink constellation rather than traditional GPS satellites for geolocation.
Last month, Kutkov also discovered “MINI1_RUGGED_PROD1” appearing in the firmware, which all suggests SpaceX could be preparing to release two new dish models: a next-generation standard dish and a ruggedized portable Starlink Mini, possibly with a built-in battery.
SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But one of the company's major goals later this year is to start offering gigabit speeds by launching next-gen V3 satellites into orbit. SpaceX is also eyeing major growth as it prepares for an IPO that will turn it into a publicly traded company.
In the past, the company has filed for blanket licenses with the Federal Communications Commission to operate new dish models in the US. But so far, we haven’t spotted any such filings. That said, SpaceX filed to modify its existing licenses for the dish models in March to add new radio frequencies to help improve the upload speeds. The modification filings are still under review at the FCC. Last year, SpaceX also received regulatory approval to increase the radiated power on two dish models.