Posted on 05/24/2019 6:57:06 AM PDT by Moonman62
SpaceX has launched 60 little satellites, the first of thousands that founder Elon Musk plans to put in orbit for global internet coverage.
The recycled Falcon rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, late Thursday. The first-stage booster landed on an ocean platform, as the tightly packed cluster of satellites continued upward.
Musk said Friday all 60 flat-panel satellites were deployed and online a few hundred miles (kilometers) above Earth. Each satellite is 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
So now all the ninnys on twitter can bitch about space junk.
I’D sign up for SPACE X’s internet
Watched the launch from my front door some 115 miles NNW of Cape Canaveral. Pretty impressive - I could see it clearly from when it came over the horizon until I lost sight of it - at which point I could still see the exhaust cone pretty clearly.
Not familiar with the technology but eventually I expect internet will be "wireless", as most is from cable, T1 or some sort of wired "connection" prior to wireless conversion..
Each of them has some thrust capability.
I’d venture a guess that they would be prevented from launching without a plan to have enough fuel to designate towards an end-of-life plan. There is the ability in the design to raise orbits (orbital decay).
I’d love to put Comcast out of business, but I think Starlink is intended to be a wholesale backbone for telcos that provide voice and data to remote locations.
I think that’s the easiest and quickest way for SpaceX to make money. Later they may provide a service for retail customers.
I could see it from 200 miles away. The night launches are great for viewing.
I’m going to complain about the space junk because “they” took away my beloved “single use” grocery bags.
Each Starlink satellite contains the NORAD database for space junk and live satellites. They will avoid collisions autonomously. Musk claims a Starlink satellite can be reprogrammed to clean up space junk, but gave no specifics.
Too funny... While in rural Eastern NC 20 mpbs DSL is about as good as it gets.
I think it’s called “Skynet.”
WUT? They’ll block out the sun. How will they power their solar teslas?
Well their FCC license request is for 1 million earth stations and their goal all along has been high speed low latency internet service. Telcos have their own backbones and would be reluctant to partner with a competitor. Let Musk build it, then Comcast and Verizon can fight over who will buy it.
When I lived on the ocean in NE Florida, the beach would be absolutely packed every time there was a night launch.
I call BS on both these statements
It’s satellite, it will suck. Latency is the problem. If theirs is anything like Hughesnet, they should stop now.
Telcos have their own backbones and would be reluctant to partner with a competitor.
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They do have backbones but not to remote locations.
It’s satellite, it will suck. Latency is the problem. If theirs is anything like Hughesnet, they should stop now.
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These satellites are low altitude. The latency will be competitive with land based Internet.
I wonder the effect on cellular if these offer VOIP calling on smart phones..
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