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Starlink
Topic Started: Mar 31 2018, 05:22 AM (53 Views)
George K
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Finally
https://gizmodo.com/the-fcc-just-gave-spacex-the-go-ahead-to-build-a-space-1824204830

Quote:
 
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just authorized SpaceX to launch its broadband satellite service, Starlink. That means Americans could be accessing the internet from space as early as 2019. We’ll literally just be pointing our phones at the sky and going online.

Just kidding, you don’t actually have to point your phone at the sky to enjoy space internet. The Starlink service will work a lot like wi-fi, except instead of needing to find a hot spot, entire sections of the country could get internet access. The proposed system will include 4,425 low-orbit satellites ( :hair: )that will beam connectivity with frequencies in the Ka and Ku bands. It actually works exactly like the wireless service on many airplanes, except SpaceX promises fiber-fast speeds. The system is expected to go online next year, after SpaceX gets at least 800 satellites in orbit.
Before we got DSL at the Cheddarshack®, I was looking at internet access via our satellite dish. There were some serious disadvantages:
1) Cost was high, and not justifiable for the sporadic use I'd make of it.
2) Speeds were slow, not much better than dial-up
3) Latency was terrible. When you consider that your request to load a page has to go 23K miles to the geostationary satellite, 23K miles to whatever server you're trying to connect, then another 23K for it to talk to the satellite, and ANOTHER 23K miles to get back to you, you're looking at serious delay. I assume that, since these are "low orbit" satellites that are being proposed, latency will not be much of a problem.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/spacex-starlink-elon-musk-news/

Quote:
 
To give you a sense of just how formidable a challenge this is, here are some numbers: There are currently only 1,459 satellites currently in orbit around earth, along with 2,600 inactive. SpaceX will need to launch 4,425 satellites into orbit to achieve its desired coverage. That’s going to require a lot of rockets, a lot of fuel, and a lot of money.
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
Couple of things...

1. I would assume these satellites are quite small and disposable and don't require a lot of boost to be put into low orbit.

2. If so, I would assume they will launch from a a very high-flying aircraft /spaceplane of some sort, to cut down even more on the amount of boost needed and also do multiple launches at one time.
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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George K
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Finally
Jolly
Mar 31 2018, 05:31 AM
Couple of things...

1. I would assume these satellites are quite small and disposable and don't require a lot of boost to be put into low orbit.

2. If so, I would assume they will launch from a a very high-flying aircraft /spaceplane of some sort, to cut down even more on the amount of boost needed and also do multiple launches at one time.
Good point. IIRC, they've already put two satellites up, as a "proof of concept" thing. However, they were launched from the Falcon 9 rocket.

https://www.cnet.com/news/how-spacex-brings-starlink-broadband-satellite-internet-to-low-earth-orbit/

Quote:
 
SpaceX has declined requests to elaborate on the project, but Musk did acknowledge that the test satellites are aboard the Falcon 9 in for the first time in a tweet Wednesday morning. The company's application to the Federal Communications Commission outlines its plan to begin by deploying an army of 4,425 small satellites in low Earth orbit between 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) and 1,325 kilometers (823 miles) above us.

Once the first 800 satellites in this constellation are up and running, that will be enough "to provide initial US and international coverage for broadband services," the company says in its FCC application. "Deployment of the remainder of that constellation will complete coverage and add capacity around the world."

But that's not all. Once its low Earth orbit constellation is up and working, SpaceX hopes to launch an even larger flock of satellites, 7,518 of them to be exact, at an orbit of around 340 kilometers (211 miles) in altitude.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/02/20/test-satellites-for-spacexs-broadband-megaconstellation-set-for-launch/
Quote:
 
Each satellite measures about the size of a mini-refrigerator and carries computer, power, command and control, propulsion and GPS navigation equipment typical for small spacecraft. A Ku-band broadband phased array antenna and an inter-satellite optical communications link is also included on each spacecraft, according to SpaceX.

“These are experimental engineering verification vehicles that will enable the company to assess the satellite bus and related subsystems, as well as the space-based and ground-based phased array technologies,” SpaceX officials wrote in a submission to the FCC.


http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/microsat-2.htm

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400 kg!
Edited by George K, Mar 31 2018, 06:02 AM.
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"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
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Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles.
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Copper
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Shortstop

I wonder if indoor reception will be a problem.

It says they will use "lasers allowing them to communicate and coordinate with each other.". I assume they don't use lasers to communicate with the ground. It seems like weather and buildings would be a problem.



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