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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

#271

Post by artisinal »

linzhangrun wrote: post #264

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.

Europe alone has millions of potential customers:

https://www.esa.int/Applications/Connectivity_and_Secure_Com...

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

#272

Post by consumer451 »

steve_adams_86 wrote: post #102
consumer451 wrote: post #5

When Starlink first became available here in poor-ish Central-EU, I was excited. Then, only months later, but after years of planning: EU funding brought fiber to my farm area, at ~$25/900mbps 10ms. While my story is just n=1, I don't understand the huge upside for Starlink outside of Africa or India, where they have However, I am dumb, and very open to be convinced.

Here along the BC Coast, the organization I work for has an expansive sensor network. Weather stations, CTDs, custom equipment in watersheds, research facilities with all kinds of equipment to monitor, and so on. There is no broadband or fiber on remote islands along the coast. We used to use satellite internet, and getting data off of our main hubs (everything is relayed to the hubs by radio) was very slow and preca…

> There is no broadband or fiber on remote islands along the coast.

I have family on the USA side of the islands. Kenmore Air is subsidized, but the trees are so darn tall that at many homes, Starlink is not an option. (they like the trees and use directional microwave, which sucks for Zoom)

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

#274

Post by Polizeiposaune »

titzer wrote: post #199
Polizeiposaune wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It won't be centuries. starlink satellites are in low orbits and will deorbit in a few years at most if bricked; to stay in orbit, they use ion thrusters to counter drag from the very uppermost reaches of the atmosphere. https://ai-solutions.com/newsroom/why-starlink-is-lowering-s...

When satellites smash into each other at high velocity, they explode. Some of that debris will end up in higher orbits and linger.

Some of the debris from a collision may end up in an orbit with a higher apogee, perigee will necessarily still be at or below the altitude of the last collision and will be subject to some of the same low-orbit aerodynamic drag that starlink satellites experience; passes through lower altitudes will apply drag that will first drop the apogee and will then eventually cause the debris to reenter.

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

#275

Post by PeterHolzwarth »

ofjcihen wrote: post #219
spongebobstoes wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

light pollution already means the night sky is largely invisible outside of remote areas

“You can’t see it most places so who cares if it goes away” is my most charitable interpretation of this.

The majority of people live in cities - and a growing majority.

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

#277

Post by jordanb »

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.

Crews on those ships are spending nearly all their time maintaining them.

Many flag and port states already allow One Man Bridge Operation (OMBO) in many circumstances. This means there's basically on person on the bridge, and maybe one other person down in the engine room keeping an eye on a floating city block moving through the water at 15 knots

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

#278

Post by audunw »

titzer wrote: post #199
Polizeiposaune wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It won't be centuries. starlink satellites are in low orbits and will deorbit in a few years at most if bricked; to stay in orbit, they use ion thrusters to counter drag from the very uppermost reaches of the atmosphere. https://ai-solutions.com/newsroom/why-starlink-is-lowering-s...

When satellites smash into each other at high velocity, they explode. Some of that debris will end up in higher orbits and linger.

How can it linger in a higher orbit. Maybe some of the debris gets a kick which increases its velocity, but you need two velocity boosts to circularise the orbit, no? So I figure at worst you get an elliptical orbit which will still decay

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

#279

Post by Recurecur »

rurp wrote: post #259
steve_adams_86 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here along the BC Coast, the organization I work for has an expansive sensor network. Weather stations, CTDs, custom equipment in watersheds, research facilities with all kinds of equipment to monitor, and so on. There is no broadband or fiber on remote islands along the coast. We used to use satellite internet, and getting data off of our main hubs (everything is relayed to the hubs by radio) was very slow and preca…

Sure, and that's great, but this is an extremely small niche case right? No one is denying that there are some cases where Starlink is amazing, but niche products don't usually command a $1T value.

Starlink is wonderful for many reasons.

It allows technical folk to live wherever they’d like as long as they’re working remotely.

The mobile applications, particularly in the case of airline aircraft, have also been compelling and worth a lot of money to SpaceX.

Starlink has also brought broadband Internet to a vast number of people that would not have had it otherwise. This will boost the worldwide economy by an enormous amount.

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

#280

Post by magicalist »

Salgat wrote: post #207
consumer451 wrote: post #5

When Starlink first became available here in poor-ish Central-EU, I was excited. Then, only months later, but after years of planning: EU funding brought fiber to my farm area, at ~$25/900mbps 10ms. While my story is just n=1, I don't understand the huge upside for Starlink outside of Africa or India, where they have However, I am dumb, and very open to be convinced.

Starlink is a problem that solves itself. If enough fiber rolls out that there's no more customers, they'll scale back satellites (since they only last 3-5 years).

Not if you're a publicly traded company and that's a major part of your revenue.
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