Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

251–260 of 270 posts

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#251

Post by dingaling »

juanbyrge wrote: post #9

If there is any corporate entity I'd happy giving public funding, it would be SpaceX. Their end goal is to settle Mars and potentially other bodies in the solar system. Compared with the absurd amounts of money wasted on defense contractors, I am perfectly happy with funding SpaceX in every way possible.

> Compared with the absurd amounts of money wasted on defense contractors

SpaceX tenders for and receives contracts from the DoD. Such as one in August for Space Command launches and another in October for Earth-bound delivery of payloads. So they're a defence contractor.

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#252

Post by pensatoio »

techelite wrote: post #178

Take from the 99.9% give to the 0.001%.

This is basically the exact opposite of what you describe. The top 1% pay an overwhelming amount of the taxes, and these programs exist to provide broadband everywhere. Not saying I agree with this use of my tax dollars, but reality simply isn’t the way you’re framing it.

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#253

Post by simonh »

iptrans wrote: post #86
simonh wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that wee true, since Starlink will reach everywhere, they would only need to fund Starlink. In fact the OP would be correct and no subsidy would be needed since Starlink is already being built.

I am glad we agree, me being both the one you are replying to and the OP you are referring to. For the avoidance of doubt, here's the link to the FCC RDOF auction and the relevant quote: "... Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to bring high speed fixed broadband service to rural homes and small businesses that lack it." https://www.fcc.gov/auction/904

Could be I'm taking an overly rosy view of what they're up to.

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#254

Post by techelite »

pensatoio wrote: post #252
techelite wrote: post #178

Take from the 99.9% give to the 0.001%.

This is basically the exact opposite of what you describe. The top 1% pay an overwhelming amount of the taxes, and these programs exist to provide broadband everywhere. Not saying I agree with this use of my tax dollars, but reality simply isn’t the way you’re framing it.

Uh... This is false. Do you mean as a percentage of income?

Didn't the FCC give AT&T to lay Fiber, that they never did, and customers would be paying for?

Elon apologist?

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#255

Post by stetrain »

nikolay wrote: post #235
stetrain wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How are they different? They beam radio signals to every corner of the planet. What new precedent is Starlink setting?

Starlink is a new precedent for an affordable general public ISP using satellites.

But how is it different as far as being irradiated?

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#256

Post by bryanlarsen »

bumby wrote: post #238
rlt wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Literally every company in this space have used it as a platform to grift public funds. > they are doing this to keep on the government, the public's tit $1B is a fraction of what SpaceX, and Morgan Stanley among others, believe they can make from Starlink: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/10/22/mor... I think this time it really is different. SpaceX has already reduced launch cost by an order of…

> reduced launch cost by an order of magnitude Which specific launches are you referring to? Some of the Space Force launch costs have gotten quite bloated for SpaceX as well

The Space Force is getting $300M in infrastructure and a launch for $316M.

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#257

Post by bryanlarsen »

mempko wrote: post #230
ceejayoz wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a taxpayer, I'm quite pleased with the SpaceX ROI for getting "my" astronauts and satellites up. Especially when you compare what Orion or paying the Russians for a ride to the ISS has cost.

What was the cost we paid to SpaceX to get the Astronauts up? Development + per launch?

$2.5B for development, and $270M per launch for 4 astronauts.

cf. shuttle costs of $1.5B per launch.

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#258

Post by eptcyka »

derekp7 wrote: post #199
bumby wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> first stage it's comparable to something like one modern Olympic games event cost. To continue on with the steelmanning, the first stage is probably a drop in a bucket compared to the entire effort. How much freight do you think it would take to colonize a planet with a population large enough to be relatively self-sufficient? Just the payload cost would be huge and that's just to park it (not to assemble, maintain…

So if SpaceX shuts down their entire operations (and lets include all rocket companies), then that would completely fix health care and the climate crises? I'm not following the logic of how that would work. It is basically a larger version of the argument "Well, if you are so poor, why did you drink that cup of coffee this morning?"

I agree, spending more money on healthcare in the states would be fruitless, as the US already pays more per capita for healthcare than any other nation.

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#259

Post by webmaven »

ryanSrich wrote: post #151
bumby wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's probably a matter of convention. We consider solar a renewable resource even though the sun will eventually die out. Humans are wired to think little beyond generational timelines, not geological ones.

Entropy waits for no man.

> Entropy waits for no man.

"I am no man!" — Eowyn

Re: SpaceX gets $886M from FCC to subsidize Starlink in 35 states

#260

Post by bumby »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #256
bumby wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> reduced launch cost by an order of magnitude Which specific launches are you referring to? Some of the Space Force launch costs have gotten quite bloated for SpaceX as well

The Space Force is getting $300M in infrastructure and a launch for $316M.

Yes, but I was actually poking at the "order of magnitude" more inexpensive statement. I'm a cheerleader for SpaceX, but sometimes people overextend.

"United Launch Alliance, was awarded $337 million to launch two missions comparable to the one awarded to SpaceX"

https://spacenews.com/spacex-explains-why-the-u-s-space-forc....

Post reply on HN