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SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

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Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#141

Post by pmoriarty »

jacquesm wrote: post #25
wongarsu wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Regular old satellite internet" is very high latency because it's few satellites in high orbit. SpaceX is doing many satellites in low orbit, resulting in much shorter paths and low latency. Latency for medium to long distances could be better than regular fiber, both because of straigher paths and because speed of light in the relative vacuum of the satellites' orbits is higher than speed of light in fiber. We don'…

I'd expect the first and easy goal to be to sell high speed access to airline passengers.

I'd rather expect it to be first sold to high frequency traders. HFT firms have paid astronomical amounts to shave milliseconds off of their connection times.

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#143

Post by bcoates »

ryanmarsh wrote: post #73
jacquesm wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd expect the first and easy goal to be to sell high speed access to airline passengers.

Considering how hard it is to get a cell signal inside a plane on the ground, and that these will require special CPE, and the airlines can't change the equipment on a plane without a ruling by the FAA, I wouldn't bet on it.

Onboard internet provided by ground-based cellular or satellite already requires aftermarket hardware -- external antennas, routers inside the plane, and more.

It does require extensive testing and permission by the FAA (and the aircraft manufacturer, and the airline, and others) and extensive support teams in terminals but it's done semi-routinely.

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#144

Post by nickik »

baq wrote: post #109
Tuna-Fish wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The satellites are not stationary, but go around the earth. This means that to get good coverage in the US, they actually have to provide good coverage everywhere near the same latitudes (on both sides of the equator). Since the satellites in the southern hemisphere will have nothing better to do and have less demand, they are probably going to start rolling out service everywhere they can at the same time. Most of B…

Frequencies aren’t free, spacex will need to buy the rights for each country separately and that costs serious money. Unless they somehow don’t have to do that for whatever reason...

Well, I mean if you have network orbiting up there anyway so you can probably make a business case that the frequency is worth it in most cases. But its probably complicated regulatory process in each country.

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#145

Post by russellbeattie »

jessriedel wrote: post #65
elteto wrote: post #56

This video [0] really puts into perspective what SpaceX is trying to accomplish. Incredible stuff if they pull it off! [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=AdKNCBrkZQ4...

FYI, the constellation was revised and an updated video was made. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEIUdMiColU&feature=youtu.be

That is amazing. Seeing the complexity of the grid is mind blowing - and the realization the blocks representing the satellites are the size of cities makes you realize how big space is. That said, future launches are going to have to run a gauntlet...

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#146

Post by test6554 »

zaroth wrote: post #11

Too bad the public markets have given Elon such a lashing with Tesla, because I would love to buy into SpaceX. But then, I’m not the only one; “There is an unlimited amount of funding that the company could probably access globally in private markets," Hilmer said, adding that he has personally met many of "a diverse group" interested in SpaceX. Everywhere I travel around the world, investors of all types — individua…

Anybody who sees a ceo who plans to spend a large chunk of company profits on colonizing mars for the sake of humanity might think to themselves, "I wonder if I can start a similar company, avoid the mars colonization expenses and undercut them on price."

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#147

Post by jandrese »

bargl wrote: post #33

This is such a cool problem. We already have a ton of Geo sat which can do this kind of communication but they are super expensive and have a limited bandwidth. These satellites will actually have a ton of limitations in how much data they can send around and how they'll have to balance out their signals. Geo are easier to point to because, well they don't move. But these are going to be moving and changing all the t…

Motorola solved this problem with its Iridium constellation back in the 90s.

Handoff between satellites isn't really that hard. Your phone knows where it is and what birds are overhead (and which are about to appear/disappear) so they can adjust automatically. Routing through the satellite constellation gets kind of hairy, but is also solvable via orbital mapping and some arcane routing algorithms.

The real trick is getting enough link margin with omni antennas to get good bandwidth. As fun as they would look, nobody wants a cell phone with a little cartoon satellite dish on top that whirls around to track birds passing overhead.

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#148

Post by JumpCrisscross »

zaroth wrote: post #11

Too bad the public markets have given Elon such a lashing with Tesla, because I would love to buy into SpaceX. But then, I’m not the only one; “There is an unlimited amount of funding that the company could probably access globally in private markets," Hilmer said, adding that he has personally met many of "a diverse group" interested in SpaceX. Everywhere I travel around the world, investors of all types — individua…

The guy they’re quoting sells SpaceX stock on the secondary market. Of course he’ll say it’s selling like hot cakes—it’s what he’s hired to sell.

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#149

Post by Rooster61 »

throwahey wrote: post #124
Rooster61 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but this assumes nothing ever collides with one and causes debris to be introduced to the web. The web itself will clearly be ok as long as it remains intact, but if something does cause one of these to RUD catastrophically, we now have debris following a similar, but just different enough orbit to be dangerous.

You won't find an answer to your question because you don't seem willing to drop your alarmist attitude. There is just far too much space for 100k objects, let alone 10k to ever run the risk of collission. These satellites are all meant to be in line-of-sight. They will communicate with optics as opposed or in conjunction to radio. You fear unforseen space particles destroying one and causing a chain reaction. Why do…

> There is just far too much space for 100k objects, let alone 10k to ever run the risk of collission.

No, there isn't. Satellites can and do collide despite the vast amount of space in a given orbit. It is improbable, but likely enough to warrant at least some concern.

> Why don't you hold that same fear for existing satelittes which typically operate at an orbit with far lower decay rate?

I do, as does the FCC. This is evident in the fact that they now require any body wishing to launch a spacecraft guarantee that the craft can be put into a graveyard orbit.

> Your comments just echo the same type of delusions of people who think in their brillance they've found problems others have not foreseen. SpaceX is really just full of amateurs you ought to submit your findings.

I'm genuinely sorry this post made you feel this way. If I already had the brilliance to answer this question as I'm sure many bright minds at SpaceX do, I would not have asked the question and rebutted the responses to begin with.

Re: SpaceX just got FCC approval to launch 7,518 satellites

#150

Post by nostrademons »

test6554 wrote: post #146
zaroth wrote: post #11

Too bad the public markets have given Elon such a lashing with Tesla, because I would love to buy into SpaceX. But then, I’m not the only one; “There is an unlimited amount of funding that the company could probably access globally in private markets," Hilmer said, adding that he has personally met many of "a diverse group" interested in SpaceX. Everywhere I travel around the world, investors of all types — individua…

Anybody who sees a ceo who plans to spend a large chunk of company profits on colonizing mars for the sake of humanity might think to themselves, "I wonder if I can start a similar company, avoid the mars colonization expenses and undercut them on price."

The advantage of rocket science as a business is that there's a pretty big barrier to entry for anyone who wants to spend a lot of money to get in. Plus a lot of the rocket scientists who work for SpaceX (as opposed to ULA or Astrium) are there specifically because of the Mars colonization mission.
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