4th reuse. Wow didn't realise they were that deep in already. Thought reuse was still conceptual
The latest revision of the Falcon 9 was intended to have re-use counts in the dozens. The previous revision...maybe 1-2.
SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
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Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#22Can't wait to see every Tesla become a wifi hotspot hooked up to Starlink.
Traditional ISPs are in trouble if the Starlink latency is really in the sub 100ms due to the LEO distance advantage.
Global coverage with decent latency!
I wonder if that's why google dipped out on rolling out fiber infrastructure.
Physical infrastructure is about to become obsolete as more advancements in wireless tech and satellite internet become available to the masses.
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#23How easy will star-link be to block, for example in Russia say or China?
How badly do people want to keep their organs? How badly does Tesla want to sell cars in those countries?
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#24How easy will star-link be to block, for example in Russia say or China?
Not easy to block with technical means over a large area. But easy to block with legal means. The way Starlink works the system needs to know exactly where each terminal is, so SpaceX doesn't have plausible deniability about serving customers in areas that prohibit it.
It would make much more sense for them as a business to try to provide censored service to China so that they could openly sell to the Chinese. Elon has business ties in China now with Tesla and I don't see him trying to be a rebel with SpaceX now. He needs that Chinese revenue to fund his Mars mission.
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#25One off the satellites where apparently already dead and would not respond to commands when they got it mounted on the rocket. But they launched it anyway.
They are going for scale, where missing launch window is more expensive than just launching the rest of the payload. https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1193687615528042496 And in this case, if dead, the satellite will be used as a science experiment
That's interesting that they say 100% of the components will burn up on reentry— is this an updated design? That wasn't true for the previous batch
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#264th reuse. Wow didn't realise they were that deep in already. Thought reuse was still conceptual
Also first re-use of a faring as well, which is awesome because they're apparently not that cheap to make.
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#27How easy will star-link be to block, for example in Russia say or China?
Easy for start, just blast satellites passing over with comparably big amounts of rf. Or just require spacex to not provide service in your territory "or else". If those phased antennas are very good, they may block point sources of jamming by "muting" that small area, but if you pump enough energy into rf, antenna will be overwhelmed and will degrade fully. But that requires tracking each of satellites passing overhead with some tracking antenna, so you would have to deploy several antennas (even hundred for territory the size of Russia). I speak only theoretically, don't know that much about currently operating phase antennas, I just know the theory and can extrapolate.
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are going for scale, where missing launch window is more expensive than just launching the rest of the payload. https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1193687615528042496 And in this case, if dead, the satellite will be used as a science experiment
That's interesting that they say 100% of the components will burn up on reentry— is this an updated design? That wasn't true for the previous batch
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/spa...
There is an annoying interstitial ad, but the URL really says it all. From March 21, 2019.
They say the first 75 have iron thruster parts and steel reaction wheels which can survive reentry, but that in subsequent builds no parts will come down with lethal energy.
Re: SpaceX launches another 60 Starlink satellites while setting two reuse records
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are going for scale, where missing launch window is more expensive than just launching the rest of the payload. https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1193687615528042496 And in this case, if dead, the satellite will be used as a science experiment
That's interesting that they say 100% of the components will burn up on reentry— is this an updated design? That wasn't true for the previous batch
Yes, this is apparently an upgraded version: https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/11/10/spacex-readies-upgrade... that has gone from 95% to 100% demisable, and also has Ka band antennas in addition to Ku.