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

zdnet.com

841–850 of 1001 posts

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

#841

I have started to see what I think are star link satellites at night on walks with my kids. It actually makes me sad to see that on person owns the night sky and is changing the literal stars my kids will grow up with. It feels different when it’s the government that theoretically represents people but when it’s one person that feels truly depressing.

Change is inevitable. I love seeing artificial objects in space, because it shows that we, humanity, are finally getting there. Elon doesn't own space, he just happens to be the one who is currently best at making it reachable. There is plenty of space for everyone else, and others will get there, eventually. I could eat myself up with envy over the money he's making from it... or be glad that it's at least someone g…

No, this is not really moving forward, it's just a traffic jam and pollution in an otherwise pristine space - for money.

It's just the money.

If we were actually going to Mars, then yes, but somehow he made himself the 'First Trillionaire' - without even so much as getting out of Earth's orbit.

This is NFT progress, in that, there is some plausible economic value in NFTs, but in reality, it's just a hustle.

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

#842
post #602

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder what you mean by "moving humanity forward". Just technological advancements without other considerations? In my opinion it should at least require reducing human suffering, and if ao he has done more harm than good

I agree with this. But imo its pretty clear that cheap and easy access to the internet on the entire globe is a clear win.

Almost all of us already have that, and the rest can as well.

The problem is not 'space' - it's getting ourselves sufficiently organized.

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

#843

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who is envious of his trillions? I'm certainly not. I am very annoyed at someone who buys elections, literally promising a million dollars for a vote, and then running in and gutting key portions of the US government, and playing fast and loose with our data - at a bare minimum. We will be investigating him for decades and he deserves every second of it.

He is not a trillionaire anymore, though.

I think you're missing the wood for the trees. He's still insanely wealthy.

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

#844
post #835

SpaceX needs to claim there’s a need for 100k more satellites to prop up unreasonable valuations. This is no different than Elon claiming Tesla owners would be renting out their cars as FSD taxis while at work (next year, we swear guys!!!) In a functioning economy he’d have faced criminal charges for knowingly misleading investors and customers about a dozen times over by now. It’s one thing to set lofty goals intern…

I believe he said Teslas are meant to appreciate in value too because you get income from renting them out when you're not using your car. They'll just drive around and work as a taxi while you're not using it.

He's more sci-fi author than CEO at this point.

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

#845

I have started to see what I think are star link satellites at night on walks with my kids. It actually makes me sad to see that on person owns the night sky and is changing the literal stars my kids will grow up with. It feels different when it’s the government that theoretically represents people but when it’s one person that feels truly depressing.

Money is also a voting system. He can decide those things only because people voted for him with their money. The issue is, not everybody has same voting power in this system. But then again people who have more power were voted for previously by others. So it's kind of representative democracy.

Good, god, no, money represents the balance of power in a system, there's not thing 'representative' about it from a civic perspective, completely the opposite.

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

#847
post #422

My understanding is that Starlink can only service ~6-7 houses per square mile today. The US is ~95/sq. mile on average. 80% of Americans live in "cities." Anchorage metro is ~15/sq. mile; Yuma, AZ is ~36. The Nashville metro is ~250. Also, Starlink satellites spend ~70% of their time over the ocean. This will impact the utilization ratio of their gear and force them to launch still more satellites.

In developed countries ISPs and telcos have to open their lines up to competition and homes pay less and have much more choice. We don't need satellites when the fiber already exists, its just hoarded.

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

#848

One cool thing about Starlink is that it can potentially improve latency across the world. In optical fibers the light travels only two thirds as fast due to the index of refraction. But in space you can use a laser to send the data in a straight line in a vacuum.

basic math says light travels faster across the surface shorter distances than orbit.

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

#849
post #292

Fiber is just getting cheaper and cheaper, more resilient, and is faster too. Plus it has no value like copper so thieves dont steal it. I don’t think it’s wise to pollute all of low earth orbit with Musk’s satellites, that area belongs to all of us collectively.

I think the main goal is direct to phones rather than being an alternative to fiber. But it's also a very good option for people living in rural areas with poor service (shoddy DSL).

population crashing will have people concentrate around cities like what is happening in Tokyo because that is where all other services will be. Rural is economic poverty.

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

#850

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It feels different when it’s the government that theoretically represents people but when it’s one person that feels truly depressing. I worked on technology for years that the FCC effectively killed for stupid reasons. So it’s heartening to me that someone can still just do stuff and build things. It’s amazing. If you asked me 10 years ago I would have thought that getting something like Starlink off the ground wo…

Some people want to live in Star Trek, but don't want to look up and see McKinley Station in the sky...

You've never been to a dark sky area and seen how many Starlinks are flying around in the sky already. Its not one object in the sky.
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