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TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

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Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#31

Post by Aurornis »

grvbck wrote: post #11

From a technical standpoint: amazing achievement, and the tech nerd in me is in awe. But it feels like a lot of people don't understand (or care?) how much these companies are polluting the space. Before the "new wave", in 2010-2015 or so, Earth had around 1500 active satellites in orbit, and another 2,000-2,500 defunct ones. Starlink now has almost 9,500 satellites in orbit, has approvals for 12,000 and long-term pl…

> We might be the last generation that is able to watch the stars.

I'm not convinced this is a major issue, but I'd like to hear arguments for why it is.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't LEO satellites only going to reflect light from the sun when they're at low angles near sunrise and sunset? For night time stargazing, they're going to be in Earth's shadow, too.

The amount of light they reflect back is also small. They can be seen if you look closely at just the right time, but I don't understand how this is supposed to be so much light that it starts raising the overall background light level considerably. The satellites are small and can only reflect so much.

Is it just annoyance that they're up there and showing up in photos?

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#32

Post by JumpCrisscross »

embedding-shape wrote: post #16

Assuming all these companies are interested in launching their own constellations of ~10K-100K satellites into L/MEO, how many companies could actually do this before cascading collisions starts becoming a real worry?

> how many companies could actually do this before cascading collisions starts becoming a real worry?

Twenty of them at 100,000 birds each to start approaching the density of planes in the sky [1]. Not around an airport. In all of the sky. Oceans and all.

Practically speaking, this is not a pressing concern for our generation.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711405

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#33

Post by bhhaskin »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #26
t1234s wrote: post #24

Looks like they are using lasers for backhaul down to ground stations. What happens if the beam is obstructed for a brief moment (plane, kite, ufo, etc..)?

> What happens if the beam is obstructed for a brief moment (plane, kite, ufo, etc..)? Same as with any dropped packet.

And my guess would be multiple beams for redundancy.

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#34

Post by JumpCrisscross »

everfrustrated wrote: post #10

All those AI datacenters in space will need a way to get data to them. Bezos can't even build his first constellation and already planning his second... Possibly the real play here is snapping up more frequency licenses on earth (we need them because we're launching any day now promise). They are the real constraining resource and could be used to keep others out of the market for a while.

> They are the real constraining resource and could be used to keep others out of the market for a while

I'd love to see a betting market on a unified, global licensing regime lasting for another ten years.

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#35

Post by Aurornis »

quaintdev wrote: post #19
grvbck wrote: post #11

From a technical standpoint: amazing achievement, and the tech nerd in me is in awe. But it feels like a lot of people don't understand (or care?) how much these companies are polluting the space. Before the "new wave", in 2010-2015 or so, Earth had around 1500 active satellites in orbit, and another 2,000-2,500 defunct ones. Starlink now has almost 9,500 satellites in orbit, has approvals for 12,000 and long-term pl…

I wonder if there's a limit to space junk beyond which leaving the Earth in a space shuttle becomes impossible.

These satellites are low Earth orbit (LEO)

They're extremely sparse. Imagine putting 12,000 satellites randomly over the surface of the Earth. You're just not going to bump into one, statistically. Now expand that into 3D space in an orbital zone above us.

It's not a collision risk.

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#36

Post by m4rtink »

quaintdev wrote: post #19
grvbck wrote: post #11

From a technical standpoint: amazing achievement, and the tech nerd in me is in awe. But it feels like a lot of people don't understand (or care?) how much these companies are polluting the space. Before the "new wave", in 2010-2015 or so, Earth had around 1500 active satellites in orbit, and another 2,000-2,500 defunct ones. Starlink now has almost 9,500 satellites in orbit, has approvals for 12,000 and long-term pl…

I wonder if there's a limit to space junk beyond which leaving the Earth in a space shuttle becomes impossible.

It is already impossible - all the remaining Space Shuttles are in a museum, not to mention all Space Shuttle missions were (and were always intended to be) to Earth orbit. No Space Shuttle ever went past 600 km hight Earth orbit.

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#37

Post by manacit »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #32
embedding-shape wrote: post #16

Assuming all these companies are interested in launching their own constellations of ~10K-100K satellites into L/MEO, how many companies could actually do this before cascading collisions starts becoming a real worry?

> how many companies could actually do this before cascading collisions starts becoming a real worry? Twenty of them at 100,000 birds each to start approaching the density of planes in the sky [1]. Not around an airport. In all of the sky. Oceans and all. Practically speaking, this is not a pressing concern for our generation. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711405

It's interesting that people have a hard time visualizing this. The area in Earth's LEO is, definitionally, bigger than the Earth itself.

The SEA parking garage fits 12,000 cars in it. Two of those spread over the entire planet would be an imperceptible amount of space. You could drop a pin on a map your entire life and probably never hit one.

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#38

Post by m4rtink »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #27
quaintdev wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if there's a limit to space junk beyond which leaving the Earth in a space shuttle becomes impossible.

> wonder if there's a limit to space junk beyond which leaving the Earth in a space shuttle becomes impossible There is. We don't have the industrial capacity, as a species, to do it.

Not to mention low orbit being self cleaning and higher orbits being exponentially more space. You can map the junk with radar & plot the launch to avoid it.

Re: TeraWave Satellite Communications Network

#39

Post by paulb73 »

manacit wrote: post #37
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how many companies could actually do this before cascading collisions starts becoming a real worry? Twenty of them at 100,000 birds each to start approaching the density of planes in the sky [1]. Not around an airport. In all of the sky. Oceans and all. Practically speaking, this is not a pressing concern for our generation. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46711405

It's interesting that people have a hard time visualizing this. The area in Earth's LEO is, definitionally, bigger than the Earth itself. The SEA parking garage fits 12,000 cars in it. Two of those spread over the entire planet would be an imperceptible amount of space. You could drop a pin on a map your entire life and probably never hit one.

SEA parking garage? Unfamiliar with this size reference.
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