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A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

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Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#91

Post by notahacker »

dylan604 wrote: post #88
notahacker wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No need for the satellite manufacturer to be the same as the launch provider, and there's nothing at all special about short-lived commodity satellites for LEO constellations. SpaceX is going to be cost-effective at building them given their experience with Starlink, but cost isn't typically a major concern of the US govt, and certainly not a higher priority than concerns about the satellite operator frequently sugge…

> but cost isn't typically a major concern of the US govt tell that to any project that has had their budget slashed or out right canceled because somebody thought their project was a waste of money. every contractor is bidding unless your name is Halliburton. what's the famous astronaut quote about sitting on top of a rocket built by the lowest bidding contractor?

> tell that to any project that has had their budget slashed or out right canceled because somebody thought their project was a waste of money.

Their contracts aren't in defense...

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#92

Post by kragen »

xyzzyz wrote: post #90
kragen wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, groundstations are virtually always highly directional, except for, like, radio hams sometimes. (Even hams usually use yagis.) Possibly you didn't notice this, but I'm talking about the antennas on the satellites, which are the ones that could suffer interference (since they're the ones receiving the uplink frequencies we're discussing), not the groundstation antennas. You always have to keep track of where each…

Ah sorry, I misread you. I meant “presumably Starshield”, I think autocorrect replaced it with Starlink.

Oh, that makes sense! Thanks for explaining!

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#93

Post by dotnet00 »

Weeenion wrote: post #10

I'm curious if you could destroy a SpaceX Satelite with a basic laser pointers. Easily enough for normal state actors and some university or engineering lab. You need only to track it and shoot your laser up there (its only 500km) and if it can't dissipate the energy fast enough, it would overheat.

Seems like a pretty bad idea to be pointing a laser at the sky unless you're a government and can do the stuff necessary to not inadvertently blind pilots.

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#94

Post by iamnothere »

ajross wrote: post #57
iamnothere wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Without rules around spectrum usage or interference in place, you’re saying I could just set up my own 1 MW transmitter on the cellular bands and the phones would just continue working as if nothing was happening? Fantastic, let’s get rid of the rules then. I have been wanting to build a giant spark gap in my backyard, that would finally make it legal.

Now you're moving the goalposts. The subject at hand is a seemingly benign use of ITU-regulated spectrum for a purpose that is not quite what it was supposed to be for (literally the direction of transmission is wrong, not the location or power level of the signals!). I don't disagree that people shouldn't be setting up 1MW jammers on mobile bands, but neither did I argue for that, and you know it.

If you want modification to the rules for experimental purposes, there are processes for that. Obviously spectrum uses change over time, and it’s good to have some trial and error to see what is feasible without breaking essential things. But given the finite spectrum and the sensitivity of some uses, it’s good to have a formal process for it. This is what the various radio spectrum organizations do, they coordinate uses and standards so people don’t flagrantly abuse the spectrum and then just say “oops, just testing” when they are caught.

If you want a vision of what unregulated long-range spectrum looks like, just look up “Mud Duck” on CB. It’s good that we have a few limited ranges where these people can shit all over the place without causing serious harm.

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#95

Post by JumpCrisscross »

Zigurd wrote: post #14
ACCount37 wrote: post #4

This reeks of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), and we know Starshield sats carry custom sensor payloads that normal Starlinks don't have.

I've been a pretty harsh critic of Starlink. I don't think it's going to compete well against terrestrial wireless links, specifically 5G FWA. But if they can actually do something interesting with distributed SAR in a large constellation, that's one of those national security breakthroughs that's worth every penny.

> if they can actually do something interesting with distributed SAR in a large constellation, that's one of those national security breakthroughs that's worth every penny

...could comprehensive SAR over the Earth's oceans uncloak submerged submarines when they're under power?

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#97

Post by JumpCrisscross »

Zigurd wrote: post #26
ACCount37 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue with terrestrial wireless links is that you just aren't going to cover every inch of Earth's surface with terrestrial wireless links. At the same time: coverage comes cheap to Starlink. Which makes it perfect for serving areas no one wants to serve. Such as rural areas, anything outside the largest cities in underdeveloped countries, the open ocean, and so it goes.

Places only Starllink can reach are an insufficient and shrinking TAM. The only places a terrestrial wireless provider doesn't want to serve are places that can't afford FWA even though it costs less.

> Places only Starllink can reach are an insufficient and shrinking TAM

Planes; yachts; cruise ships; naval vessels; sea-based drilling, mining and research platforms; mines in the middle of nowhere are a shrinking TAM?

You may also be underestimating how many large rural landowners don't want to give telcos (and the relevant authorities) access to any of their land.

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#98

Post by JumpCrisscross »

timmmmmmay wrote: post #96

The relevant ITU recommendation specifically allows for space-to-space radio links. You can read it here: https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/sa/R-REC-SA.1154-0-... Why didn't the article author bother to read this?

> relevant ITU recommendation specifically allows for space-to-space radio links...Why didn't the article author bother to read this?

How do you know they didn't?

Scott Tilley isn't in space. He detected these signals. The material question is if those signals are propagating upwards.

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#99

Post by ACCount37 »

martinky24 wrote: post #24
ACCount37 wrote: post #4

This reeks of SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), and we know Starshield sats carry custom sensor payloads that normal Starlinks don't have.

What suggests SAR over downlink...?

Weird band for a downlink, and runs continuously and indiscriminately? It being detectable over Canada suggesting the latter. If downlink - what receives it?

Re: A classified network of SpaceX satellites is emitting a mysterious signal

#100

Post by Weeenion »

dotnet00 wrote: post #93
Weeenion wrote: post #10

I'm curious if you could destroy a SpaceX Satelite with a basic laser pointers. Easily enough for normal state actors and some university or engineering lab. You need only to track it and shoot your laser up there (its only 500km) and if it can't dissipate the energy fast enough, it would overheat.

Seems like a pretty bad idea to be pointing a laser at the sky unless you're a government and can do the stuff necessary to not inadvertently blind pilots.

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