SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#11

Post by fasteddie31003 » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:07 AM UTC

whoisburbansky wrote: post #7

fasteddie31003 wrote: post #6

I am so happy Elon Musk exists today. The world is a much more interesting place to live in. I was outside the other night on a walk and all the sudden I see a 60 satellite Starlink fleet above me and it honestly brought me to tears. He has made science fiction real and has progressed all of humanity more than anyone else alive today IMO. I can't wait for the Elon hate replies.

Sure would have been nice if all of that had been co-ordinated with astronomers so we wouldn't have to impose the negative externality of not being able to observe the heavens anymore as a price paid for faster internet.

Why can't astronomers have algorithms that selectively throw away data from pixels that are known to have a satellite or a plane in then? It seems like a problem that software can solve. Granted it's more effort on the side of astronomers.

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#12

Post by sneak » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:07 AM UTC

whoisburbansky wrote: post #7

fasteddie31003 wrote: post #6

I am so happy Elon Musk exists today. The world is a much more interesting place to live in. I was outside the other night on a walk and all the sudden I see a 60 satellite Starlink fleet above me and it honestly brought me to tears. He has made science fiction real and has progressed all of humanity more than anyone else alive today IMO. I can't wait for the Elon hate replies.

Sure would have been nice if all of that had been co-ordinated with astronomers so we wouldn't have to impose the negative externality of not being able to observe the heavens anymore as a price paid for faster internet.

Most places that will be Starlink customers have no internet of any kind available, and the situation even at maximum possible negative observation impact of Starlink is not accurately described as "not being able to observe the heavens anymore".

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#13

Post by Nowado » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:09 AM UTC

todipa wrote: post #10

ciarannolan wrote: post #5

All the references like "Please contact sales@spacex.com to evaluate how Starship can meet your unique needs" are pretty funny. I'd like to imagine some mid-level manager working on his little satellite project browsing this pamphlet, thinking, "Hmmm, this 'SpaceX' company looks interesting. Let me send them an email."

I'm curious who his biggest customers will be?

I'm more curious who the smallest was will be.

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#14

Post by bigyikes » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:10 AM UTC

ciarannolan wrote: post #5

All the references like "Please contact sales@spacex.com to evaluate how Starship can meet your unique needs" are pretty funny. I'd like to imagine some mid-level manager working on his little satellite project browsing this pamphlet, thinking, "Hmmm, this 'SpaceX' company looks interesting. Let me send them an email."

I had a similar giggle reading about the "rideshare opportunities"

> This large deployable envelope allows for the design of novel payloads, rideshare opportunities and entire constellations of satellites on a single launch.

I'm totally looking forward to hailing a Starship in the Uber app. (I actually don't know what they mean by ridesharing)

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#15

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:12 AM UTC

bigyikes wrote: post #14

ciarannolan wrote: post #5

All the references like "Please contact sales@spacex.com to evaluate how Starship can meet your unique needs" are pretty funny. I'd like to imagine some mid-level manager working on his little satellite project browsing this pamphlet, thinking, "Hmmm, this 'SpaceX' company looks interesting. Let me send them an email."

I had a similar giggle reading about the "rideshare opportunities" > This large deployable envelope allows for the design of novel payloads, rideshare opportunities and entire constellations of satellites on a single launch. I'm totally looking forward to hailing a Starship in the Uber app. (I actually don't know what they mean by ridesharing)

[deleted]

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#16

Post by wmf » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:13 AM UTC

bigyikes wrote: post #14

ciarannolan wrote: post #5

All the references like "Please contact sales@spacex.com to evaluate how Starship can meet your unique needs" are pretty funny. I'd like to imagine some mid-level manager working on his little satellite project browsing this pamphlet, thinking, "Hmmm, this 'SpaceX' company looks interesting. Let me send them an email."

I had a similar giggle reading about the "rideshare opportunities" > This large deployable envelope allows for the design of novel payloads, rideshare opportunities and entire constellations of satellites on a single launch. I'm totally looking forward to hailing a Starship in the Uber app. (I actually don't know what they mean by ridesharing)

In this context, ridesharing means piggybacking one or more small satellites on the launch of a larger, primary satellite. It can be close to "free" because the primary is going to launch anyway.

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#17

Post by Baeocystin » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:13 AM UTC

whoisburbansky wrote: post #7

fasteddie31003 wrote: post #6

I am so happy Elon Musk exists today. The world is a much more interesting place to live in. I was outside the other night on a walk and all the sudden I see a 60 satellite Starlink fleet above me and it honestly brought me to tears. He has made science fiction real and has progressed all of humanity more than anyone else alive today IMO. I can't wait for the Elon hate replies.

Sure would have been nice if all of that had been co-ordinated with astronomers so we wouldn't have to impose the negative externality of not being able to observe the heavens anymore as a price paid for faster internet.

The latest batch of satellites are already much improved in that regard compared to the earlier ones, and it's still early days. I am hopeful that things will continue to improve as the things proceed.

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#18

Post by eitland » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:13 AM UTC

todipa wrote: post #10

ciarannolan wrote: post #5

All the references like "Please contact sales@spacex.com to evaluate how Starship can meet your unique needs" are pretty funny. I'd like to imagine some mid-level manager working on his little satellite project browsing this pamphlet, thinking, "Hmmm, this 'SpaceX' company looks interesting. Let me send them an email."

I'm curious who his biggest customers will be?

US military.

Besides cost and risk there's nothing preventing this from being used on earth, in fact I've already seen the use case mentioned here on HN.

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#19

Post by toomuchtodo » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:15 AM UTC

eitland wrote: post #18

todipa wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious who his biggest customers will be?

US military. Besides cost and risk there's nothing preventing this from being used on earth, in fact I've already seen the use case mentioned here on HN.

DOD is already talking to SpaceX for rapid cargo transport applications.

“A military team is working with SpaceX to flesh out the prospect of shipping routes that pass through space, the head of U.S. Transportation Command said Oct. 7.”

“That group could demonstrate as early as 2021 whether quickly sending cargo around the globe via space is feasible, Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons said.”

“Think about moving the equivalent of a C-17 payload anywhere on the globe in less than an hour,” Lyons said at a National Defense Transportation Association event. “Think about that speed associated with the movement of transportation of cargo and people. There is a lot of potential here.”

https://www.airforcemag.com/dod-spacex-may-soon-prove-the-mi...

Re: SpaceX Starship Users' Guide [pdf]

#20

Post by Baeocystin » Tue, Dec 08, 2020, 3:16 AM UTC

nitrogen wrote: post #9

whoisburbansky wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure would have been nice if all of that had been co-ordinated with astronomers so we wouldn't have to impose the negative externality of not being able to observe the heavens anymore as a price paid for faster internet.

...for a little while after sunset, and mostly while a new launch of sats is deploying.

Eh... There's a little more to it than that. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/starlink-satellit... has more details.

My personal opinion is that access to the global internet is important enough to justify the light pollution in the night sky. But I understand that not everyone thinks so, and regardless, steps to limit the constellations' impact are important to take.