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SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

zdnet.com

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Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#261

Post by connicpu »

defrost wrote: post #235
vjvjvjvjghv wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't take long exposures, the satellites won't cause you much trouble seeing the stars. Regular light pollution is the problem.

Sucks for regular astronomy then, where long exposures are the norm. Equally sucks for radio astronomy where the bloody things leak into spectrums they (Starlink) pinky promised to keep clean. And successive generations have worsened the problem, again despite promises to improve.

Starlink actively works with radioastronomy sites to avoid causing interference. They've posted about this before.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#262

Post by colechristensen »

jws wrote: post #249
senderista wrote: post #206

Will this be the last generation to remember the night sky?

I may have blown the math, but the last time I calculated I figured there were about 35 Starlink satellites above the horizon at my latitude. Looking into the suburban early night sky I see zero, one, or two satellites with about equal probability. I think the hypothesis this leads to is that the "don't shine" techniques Starlink is using are working. I'm guessing the ones I see are either not Starlink or are Starlin…

30 yard wide solar array from 300 miles away. There's a brief period of the day where they're visible but hardly a risk of making a dent in your view of the sky especially compared to ordinary terrestrial light pollution.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#263

Post by defrost »

kortilla wrote: post #246
defrost wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sucks for regular astronomy then, where long exposures are the norm. Equally sucks for radio astronomy where the bloody things leak into spectrums they (Starlink) pinky promised to keep clean. And successive generations have worsened the problem, again despite promises to improve.

If you have evidence of them causing interference on a spectrum they shouldn’t be on, report it to the FCC. They take that very seriously

Scientists analyze 76 million radio telescope images, find Starlink satellite interference 'where no signals are supposed to be present' (2025)

~ https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-analyze-76-millio...

and several other papers over the past half decade.

It's old news that they leak, and old news that F-all gets done about it.

Back to you.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#264

Post by linzhangrun »

Commercially speaking, does Starlink really need 100x bandwidth?

Starlink's target market is limited. It is very good for ships, remote area, but not necessary in cities where most people live.

I am not sure whether the launch and maintenance cost of another 100k satellites is necessary for such a limited market, unless the cost of launch (Starship) and the satellites themselves drops greatly.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#265

Post by connicpu »

onemoresoop wrote: post #160
spullara wrote: post #108

I think most of this thread is missing the part where this will also work for cellphones and give you truly global coverage.

Do we really need that? Most of us are fine with relays. The coverage in remote parts could be handled by way fewer sattelites. 100k is a lot of sattelites. Seems that with 100k leo we’d have 24/7 live coverage of every inch on earth but do we really want that?

Just coverage is already provided by the 600-something direct to cell satellites already in orbit yes, but you need more if you want it to be useful beyond loading text-only posts or sending SMS

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#266

Post by zer00eyz »

deadbabe wrote: post #177
kevinkeller wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't understand the huge upside for Starlink outside of Africa or India, where they have India is rapidly expanding fiber internet connectivity, even in rural areas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bharat_Broadband_Network In addition, 4G/5G coverage is extensive: https://www.ookla.com/articles/india-mobile-connectivity-1h2... See India in this 5G global coverage map: https://www.ookla.com/articles/5g-map-2026 The…

Automated cargo ships. Traveling to automated ports.

Never going to happen in your lifetime.

Salt water, is nasty, it gets everywhere, the environment on boats is damp. Ships are complicated and require constant effort to keep running.

Any sort of "automation" you build in is subject to those same environmental conditions, and wont last long.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#267

Post by connicpu »

daniel_iversen wrote: post #148

Surely it’ll be an issue some day for other space activities with all the SpaceX kit up there? I know space is very large :) but surely it’d be hard to scan, calculate and control trajectories of millions of orbiting tiny things when you’re launching rockets and things? A spacex satellite almost crashed into the Chinese space station some years ago and the Chinese had to perform an evasive manoeuvre I believe

Satellites flying at 360km (the target altitude for starlink V3) deorbit very quickly without regular burns. Dead starlink satellites are guaranteed to come down within 5 years.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#268

Post by defrost »

connicpu wrote: post #261
defrost wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sucks for regular astronomy then, where long exposures are the norm. Equally sucks for radio astronomy where the bloody things leak into spectrums they (Starlink) pinky promised to keep clean. And successive generations have worsened the problem, again despite promises to improve.

Starlink actively works with radioastronomy sites to avoid causing interference. They've posted about this before.

Yes, they do post about it.

Yes they do talk about working to avoid causing interference.

That's been ongoing since before the first Starlink went up and has been ongoing as later generations haven't improved.

Second-Generation Starlink Satellites Leak 30 Times More Radio Interference, Threatening Astronomical Observations https://www.astron.nl/starlink-satellites/

  Observations with the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) radio telescope last year showed that first generation Starlink satellites emit unintended radio waves that can hinder astronomical observations. New observations with the LOFAR radio telescope, the biggest radio telescope on Earth observing at low frequencies, have shown that the second generation ’V2-mini’ Starlink satellites emit up to 32 times brighter unintended radio waves than satellites from the previous generation, potentially blinding radio telescopes and crippling vital research of the Universe.
Still, at least they are talking about maybe doing something. Eventually. Perhaps.

Re: SpaceX wants to launch 100k more Starlink satellites for 100x the bandwidth

#269

Post by tootie »

On twitter yesterday, someone posted a question about SpaceX/xAI making a poor financial decision and Musk answered saying SpaceX will be worth more than the rest of the Earth. His megalomania is really running wild so I would not put much stock in this. They are asking the FCC for permission to launch 100k satellites which puts this very much in the "aspirational" category. They neither have plans nor approval to do it. This is a combination of ego and signalling to SPCX investors because it's down nearly 10% from IPO.

https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:57vlzz2...

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