Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Starlink?
Self

Posted on 04/22/2020 11:53:09 AM PDT by immadashell

How many satellites is overkill?


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: stupidvanity
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last
How many satellites is too many?
1 posted on 04/22/2020 11:53:09 AM PDT by immadashell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: immadashell
How many satellites is too many?

Satellites are like sex, you can never get enough......

2 posted on 04/22/2020 11:55:07 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: immadashell

Because the name Skynet had already been used in a movie.


3 posted on 04/22/2020 11:55:29 AM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: immadashell

They will be be deployed from Earth orbit to Mars to facilitate communications.


4 posted on 04/22/2020 11:55:43 AM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature (Polls are no longer designed to measure public sentiment but to influence it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DannyTN

[Because the name Skynet had already been used in a movie.]

Heh...


5 posted on 04/22/2020 11:56:57 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: immadashell

Did you notice last week that Russia tested a new anti satellite missile? China last year?

They can’t shoot down a swarm.


6 posted on 04/22/2020 12:00:10 PM PDT by datura
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: immadashell

> How many satellites is too many?

starlink satellite system advantages over conventional internet satellites:

1. it’s faster because it uses linked fast traveling low earth orbit satellites instead of single slower traveling high earth orbit satellites. faster is better for day trading software.

2. it’s more generally accessible because it offers the possibility of full high speed broadband coverage in remote areas such as africa, south america, and north dakota.


7 posted on 04/22/2020 12:01:28 PM PDT by SteveH
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: datura
"They can’t shoot down a swarm."

Unless they use a maneuverable, orbiting pea shooter....

8 posted on 04/22/2020 12:03:10 PM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: immadashell

For the folks living in rural areas or the boonies, Starlink will be great! Many folks have no option for internet other than Hughes satellite or possibly cellphone. Some have no available internet.

https://www.reviews.org/internet-service/spacex-starlink-satellite-internet-review/

“How will Starlink internet work?

Starlink satellites will sit closer to the Earth to reduce latency and use lasers to boost internet speeds.

Elon Musk and SpaceX hope that Starlink’s unique technology will help it fill the connectivity gap between urban and rural areas.

Right now, rural areas face challenges when it comes to getting internet access because of the massive cost of infrastructure. That means the cost of digging trenches, laying cable or fiber, and even dealing with property rights disputes.

But Starlink’s satellites will beam an internet signal directly to a gateway or user terminal on the ground.3 That means there’s much less infrastructure needed to get that internet signal to rural homes.

To top it off, SpaceX says its Starlink internet will be faster and have less latency than current satellite internet. But how?
Starlink satellite internet will be faster

First, each Starlink satellite will communicate with four other satellites using lasers. That means they’ll beam data across the globe at almost the speed of light—a speed that only fiber-optic internet comes close to matching.4
How fast will Starlink internet be?

An initial beta test partnership between the US Air Force and Starlink, called Global Lightning, saw download speeds of 610 Mbps.5

Global Lightning started in early 2018 and used two Starlink satellites to send information to terminals inside a C-12 transport plane while it was in flight.
Starlink satellite internet will have less latency

And as for latency? Well, latency is the time it takes for your internet signal to travel from your computer to your ISP, to the website server, and then back to you.

With satellite internet, that means your signal has to travel 22,200 miles to reach the satellite, then back down to the website server, back up to the satellite, and back to you. You can bet that takes a hot minute, which is why satellite internet’s latency is typically between 500 and 600 milliseconds (ms).

But Starlink satellites will sit about 342 miles above the Earth’s surface.4 That’s much closer than other satellites, which means there’s much less distance for your internet signal to travel to a Starlink satellite.

And you know what that means: less latency. (We’re cheering, can you hear us?)

https://www.reviews.org/internet-service/spacex-starlink-satellite-internet-review/


9 posted on 04/22/2020 12:04:39 PM PDT by BwanaNdege ( Experience is the best teacher, but if you can accept it 2nd hand, the tuition is less!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: immadashell

also, starlink will be used to fund starship, which offers the prospect of ensuring the propagation of the human species to other planets, ensuring humans can survive cataclisms such as asteroid strikes, fatal pandemics, global nuclear war, zombie apocalypse, y10k, another democrat presidency, etc.


10 posted on 04/22/2020 12:06:11 PM PDT by SteveH
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: immadashell
How many satellites is too many?

I believe it's about 1500 to provide global coverage. Then more to satisfy demand if it materializes. DoD is very much looking at using Starlink technology.

12 posted on 04/22/2020 12:11:54 PM PDT by IndispensableDestiny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: datura

Anti-satellite is the new Space Command’s first task.


13 posted on 04/22/2020 12:12:38 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Fauci wants you to believe that you get covid-19 and you die. It's fear mongering at its worst.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: molly3682

Go away,you are tiresome.


14 posted on 04/22/2020 12:14:12 PM PDT by Mears
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: DannyTN
"Because the name Skynet had already been used in a movie."

So... I'm not unnecessarily paranoid, after all?
{:-)

15 posted on 04/22/2020 12:14:26 PM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: immadashell
Well there goes the modern Astronomy.

These Starlink units will mess up everybody!! Plus they are not a single unit, these are long formations flying across your field of view.

16 posted on 04/22/2020 12:16:09 PM PDT by prophetic (Trump is today's DANIEL. Shut the mouth of lions Lord, let his enemies be the Cat Food instead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DannyTN

If Skynet had thought of making the Kung Flu, they wouldn’t have needed Terminators and Time Machines.


17 posted on 04/22/2020 12:21:44 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (THEY LIVE, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Kickass Conservative

If Skynet had thought of Kung Flu, it could have pretended not to be at war with us.

At least we’re not at war with Starlink.


18 posted on 04/22/2020 12:26:38 PM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: DannyTN

What if we find out Elon Musk is really a Terminator?


19 posted on 04/22/2020 12:30:13 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (THEY LIVE, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: immadashell
How many satellites is overkill?

One hundred and sixteen.

Since you asked.

20 posted on 04/22/2020 12:32:30 PM PDT by humblegunner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-37 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson