Starlink - Space X's space internet project

tahanson43206 · 2020-11-02 07:48:04

Here is an encouraging update ....

TechnologyBusiness Insider
SpaceX's Starlink internet public beta is giving some users blistering download speeds of more than 160 Mbps, including in rural Montana

If we had any NewMars members who can afford the $99/month fee, and the $1000 setup price, it would be good to see the new service in operation.

One caveat (it seems to me) is that the speeds reported are dependent upon the availability of a satellite within range, and since all the satellites are not yet aloft, there may be periods when coverage drops out.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-11-02 20:00:02

Most can get a guaranteed internet for that cost and less each month from a variety of sources these days but none are cheap and unlimited to which most require to do what they truly would want it for.
Will keep watching for the pricing to fall....

tahanson43206 · 2020-11-05 09:19:09

The article at the link below is about beta testing of Starlink, and about reducing the cost of the ground equipment.

However, I've selected a line that brings focus to the qualities of leadership provided by Elon Musk, As Adam Smith said nearly 2 centuries ago now, the wealth of a nation is measured NOT by the physical attributes of the terrain, but by the productivity of the people.

Elon Musk is highlighted in this quote for his ability to recruit talented people, and to encourage them to achieve at their best,

In a nearby topic, a space ship for transportation of passengers to and from Mars is under (very early) development. It will be necessary to recruit talented people who are willing to donate their time to help the project along at this stage.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacexs-star … 26882.html

Kate Duffy
Wed, November 4, 2020, 6:05 AM EST
SpaceX chief Elon Musk speaks during a press conference after the launch of SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo mission at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 2, 2019.
Read more: Elon Musk personally recruited me to work at SpaceX when it was starting up. He was a relentless problem solver and taught me valuable lessons I use even to this day.

Since the present complement of active NewMars forum members is small, the need (that I see) is for each of us to try to recruit the right people to help set this worthy project into motion.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-11-15 15:37:11

I was curious to know how to subscribe to Starlink ... Google came up with a web site, and this is what I found:

The entry requires a Google location code which I'd not heard about before:

Find and share a location using Plus Codes
Plus Codes work just like street addresses. They can help you get and use a simple digital address. They can also help you define a specific location for a conventional address. For example, you can identify different entrances to the same building.
You can use Plus Codes to identify a specific location to receive deliveries, access emergency and social services, or direct people to a location. Since the codes are simple, you can easily share them with others.
Plus Codes are based on latitude and longitude. They use a simple grid system and a set of 20 alphanumeric characters. The character list purposely excludes easy to confuse characters like “1” or “l.”
Here’s an example of a Plus Code: 8QQ7+V8, Dublin.
Android Computer iPhone & iPad
Find and share a location’s Plus Code
On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Maps mobile web or the Google Maps app Maps.
Find the location where you want to get a Plus Code. To drop a Pin "" there, touch and hold the screen.
At the bottom, tap the “Dropped pin” panel.
Find the Plus Code beside the Plus Code logo . For example: 8QQ7+V8, Dublin.
To copy a location’s code, tap the Plus Code .
To share the location, paste the Plus Code into your email or messaging app, just as you would do for a traditional address.
Find and share your current location’s Plus Code
On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app Maps.
Tap the blue dot that indicates your location.
A blue screen will open where you’ll find the Plus Code for your current location. For example: 8QQ7+V8,Dublin.
To copy a location’s code, tap the Plus Code.
To share the location, paste the Plus Code into your email or messaging app, just as you would do for a traditional address.
If you’re offline, you might see a global Plus Code without a town or city name. Instead, an area code is added to the beginning of the Plus Code, like 9C5M8QQ7+V8.
Find a location with a Plus Code
To search for a location using a Plus Code, use the Plus Code like an address.
On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Maps mobile web or the Google Maps app Maps.
At the top, in the search box, enter the Plus Code.
Tip: When you search for a location, you can use a Plus Code with a town or city name. For example: 8QQ7+V8, Dublin.
When you’re in the town or city where you want to search, you can just enter the 6- or 7-digit Plus Code. For example, if you’re in Dublin, you can directly search for 8QQ7+V8.
Learn more about Plus Codes.

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tahanson43206 · 2020-11-22 12:29:56

According to the news item that just showed up in the Yahoo feed, Starlink has been approved for service in Canada ...

Last month, SpaceX launched its “Better Than Nothing Beta” test program. Service invites were sent to a portion of those who requested availability updates on Starlink.com and who live in serviceable areas. A couple weeks ago, Canada granted Starlink regulatory approval and last week SpaceX rolled out the service to parts of parts of southern Canada.
If you would like to learn more about the service, please visit the Reddit AMA SpaceX engineers recently participated in.

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SpaceNut · 2020-11-22 12:37:42

Been quite few articles about the optical distractions from star watchers that are seeing the fake steaks in images that are looking for changing star patterns needed to indicate when small rocks are inbound for striking planet earth.

tahanson43206 · 2020-11-22 13:09:11

For SpaceNut re #31

The place for serious astronomy is off Earth ....

SpaceX is one one of multiple organizations who are planning to pump thousands of satellites into Low Earth Orbit.

SpaceX, OneWeb and Amazon to launch thousands more ...www.cnbc.com › 2019/12/14 › spacex-oneweb-and-amaz...
Dec 14, 2019 — According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), there are ... The megaconstellations plan to operate in low Earth orbit (or LEO) to reduce latency. But to get as much coverage, you then need many more LEO satellites to ... Watch above to see CNBC's look at these companies' plans, as well ...

In addition, I expect the Chinese to enter this game in a big way, if they haven't already.

My point is ... the Earth astronomers who are worried about SpaceX have a ** lot ** more to worry about.

***
The post about Starlink availability in Canada may be of interest to any forum members who happen to live there.

One person can subscribe to a service and then collect share payments from neighbors without having to form a corporation.

This arrangement is formally called a cooperative, but if the number of participants is small, I expect it can operate without government supervision or involvement.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-11-22 13:24:24

While the billion dollar telescopes of the past have and are currently going to orbit its time to start thinking in smaller more specific units rather than multi spectral as we need more to cover the field of view to see what we need to see as the higher the power is for magnifications the small that field of view gets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_telescopes

Hubble sets up at Perigee altitude 537.0 km (333.7 mi) with Apogee altitude 540.9 km (336.1 mi) above the earths surface.
April 26, 2019 - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved SpaceX’s request to fly more than 1,500 of its Starlink satellites at an altitude of 550 kilometers.

Seems even Hubble would see them as they cross its field of view.

maybe these could also double as telescope platforms as well for a small fee and equipment scaled down to fit on them....

tahanson43206 · 2020-11-22 14:16:12

For SpaceNut re #33

Good Grief! I had no idea the approved orbits for Starlink are ** above ** Hubble.

An advantage Hubble's support team ** may ** have that ground based telescopes do not, is space situational awareness services courtesy of the US military.

While a satellite outside of Hubble's orbit might intrude on it's field of view (and there are many satellites that would) it ** should ** be possible for Hubble to turn off the CCD systems when an intruder is about to enter the field of view. If I can tempt you to stretch your search skills in a related direction, I wonder if Hubble's management team is ** already ** dealing with transient crossings like that.

** All ** of geosynchronous orbit, and many if not most of the high looping Soviet-era satellites would cross through the potential viewing space of Hubble.

I wonder if dealing with satellites (and spacecraft on missions) might have been anticipated as a problem by the Hubble design team from the beginning.

***
The focus I am trying to bring to bear is on potential extension of customer service by Starlink to customers in Canada, and specifically to those who might decide to share the cost of a station among several households.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2020-11-25 16:41:22

SpaceX uses booster seventh time on Starlink launch

SpaceX launched one of its Falcon 9 first-stage boosters for a record seventh time Tuesday night as the company launched more of its Starlink satellites from Florida.
The 16th batch of 60 satellites headed toward orbit at 9:13 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The launch marks the 100th such mission for a Falcon 9 rocket, and boosts the number of Starlink satellites in orbit to more than 900.

I wonder how fast the reuse occurred or was there much work done to it each time for reuse?

SpaceX is just weeks into a public test of Starlink Internet service in limited areas of the Northwest United States and parts of southern Canada.
The service can be accessed by obtaining the company's 19-inch dish terminal with a mounting tripod and a router, which is expected to cost $499.
"We're continuously improving all of the parts of the system. We update all of our satellites weekly, and push software updates to the Starlink dishes, WiFi routers, and phone app every couple weeks," one of SpaceX's engineers wrote recently on Reddit.

SpaceNut · 2020-12-07 16:41:13

SpaceX's Starlink to Receive $886 Million From FCC to Improve Rural Broadband spacexs-starlink-to-receive-886-million-from-fcc-to-improve_g5zx.1920.jpg

The FCC awarded the money in an auction to fund high-speed internet projects in rural America. SpaceX will receive the funding to supply broadband in underserved areas across 35 states. The money will come from a $9.2 billion fund the FCC created to subsidize expanding high-speed internet to underserved rural areas across the US. In SpaceX’s case, the company has already been offering the Starlink service to invited beta users for $99 a month and a $499 upfront fee. The satellite internet network can currently run at over 100Mbps and higher, but the eventual goal is to offer 1Gbps internet speeds.
Currently, the Starlink beta is only available to users based in the northern US. However, the company plans on expanding the trial to more states early next year. Interested customers can go to Starlink.com to sign up for the email newsletter, which has been handing out beta invites.

tahanson43206 · 2020-12-07 18:17:28

It's good to see this US government (ie, US taxpayer) support for folks living in rural America ... Education is the pathway for eventual Internet employment for thousands of young folks growing up in areas where the wired Internet is scarce.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2020-12-19 13:24:11

The article at the link below reports on an encouraging rollout of Starlink to an indigenous community in Canada ...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacex-teame … 00795.html

After seeing the effect Starlink has had on Pikangikum, FSET isn't stopping there. "We're talking to [SpaceX] about doing this for other indigenous communities in north-western Ontario, Southern Manitoba," said Brown.
In some cases, FSET is introducing SpaceX to rural communities who want to set up Starlink for themselves, and then stepping aside.
Musk's space company offers Starlink public beta in northern US and Canada. The billionaire said in November the service could reach Florida by January, Europe by February, and India by the middle of next year.

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SpaceNut · 2020-12-19 16:33:16

There seems to be quite a few competitors in trying to provide internet service and saw a link to find out more followed up searching for more.

SpaceX Starlink’s Bankrupt Rival, OneWeb, To Resume Satellite Launch

OneWeb plans to deploy an initial constellation of 650 satellites to provide global broadband internet access and then launch an additional 400 satellites to enhance capacity in reception hotspots.
For comparison, Starlink’s global coverage will require about 1,200 satellites. SpaceX has deployed about 800 so far, making the satellite large enough to provide basic service in North America.

SpaceX’s Starlink Had a Record Year—But Competition Is More Fierce Than Ever

OneWeb launched its first batch of 19 satellites since surviving bankruptcy (its third launch in 2020) Thursday night using a Russian Soyuz booster. The company eventually wants to deploy 48,000 satellites, which is 6,000 more than the maximum number (for now) of satellites SpaceX has planned for Starlink.

SpaceX faces competitors in race to build Internet-satellite constellation

There's more competition on the way. Richard Branson's Virgin Group, Boeing, Amazon and LeoSat Enterprises, a Washington, D.C., company are all in the early stages of pursuing satellite Internet constellations.

Starlink Internet vs. Other Satellite Providers: How It Compares

In this Guide
Starlink vs. HughesNet
Starlink vs. Viasat Exede
Starlink vs. Traditional Satellite: Other Differences
Which Satellite Internet Is Best?
What Is Starlink Internet?
Compare Satellite Internet Plans?

SpaceNut · 2021-02-06 18:57:11

Starlink already has 10,000 users, according to a SpaceX FCC filing

The filing says most Starlink customers can expect internet download speeds of at least 100Mbps with fewer than 31 milliseconds of latency.
$99 per month on top of a $499 fee for the equipment required to get Starlink internet running in your home.

Here’s how many people are already using Elon Musk’s space-based internet service

The company has said that it hopes to eventually have tens of thousands of Starlink satellites in orbit, bolstering the speed and reliability of the network and allowing for even more people to connect.
Going forward, we expect to see the regular deployment of Starlink satellites to continue, with the company sending as many as 120 new Starlink satellites into orbit every month.

tahanson43206 · 2021-03-23 09:57:02

https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacex-betti … 27628.html

Business Insider
SpaceX is betting big on its UK Starlink rollout, and is in talks to become part of the government's $6.9 billion 'Project Gigabit' plan for rural internet
Kate Duffy
Tue, March 23, 2021, 7:48 AM

** Now ** we're talking!

(th)

SpaceNut · 2021-07-02 19:06:53

I am not sure that the dish was intended to be used this way...
California Highway Patrol tickets driver with apparent SpaceX Starlink dish bolted to car hood

SpaceNut · 2021-11-13 19:54:53

Another successful launch SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket climbs out of low fog over the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the way to orbit with SpaceX launches 53 Starlink satellites into orbit

http://starlink.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink

Flight 31 Group 4-1 mission

SpaceNut · 2022-02-09 19:58:00

SpaceX loses 40 Starlink satellites to a geomagnetic storm

GW Johnson · 2022-02-10 09:13:01

When Earth gets hit by a solar flare's mass ejection, it heats up the thin outer layers of the atmosphere. They puff up and higher densities then occur at higher altitudes, causing more drag at the lower orbital altitudes. Sometimes the effect is more dramatic, sometimes not. Musk bet that it wouldn't overcome his Starlink satellites, and lost. This was a big one.

The very same thing happened with Skylab in 1979. NASA knew it threatened to fall out of the sky, but was projecting 1980 or 1981, and they thought their shuttle would be flying by then, so that they could take it to Skylab and emplace a propulsion package on it for a controlled deorbit. They bet, and lost, too. A big solar flare happened to hit us in 1979, dragging Skylab down on Western Australia.

BTW, shuttle didn't actually fly until 1982. Would have been too late anyway. Lessons still to be learned by some: (1) whatever you orbit needs propulsion aboard to reach its orbit despite solar flare drag enhancement, and (2) whatever you launch needs enough separately-controlled propulsion (and attitude control) to deorbit safely after all the rest of its functions have failed.

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2022-02-10 09:14:11)

Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-03-21 07:11:49

Will a future Mars have a Balkanized interwebs?

Russia is risking the creation of a “splinternet”—and it could be irreversible
https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/0 … rnet-risk/

Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-04-15 08:34:24

French court revokes SpaceX's Starlink internet license, citing monopolization concerns

https://www.space.com/starlink-french-c … polization

Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-04-18 03:56:18

An alarmist sensational article from Hindu India news

'Russia Announces Space War On Elon Musk's Starlink Satellites, Accepts Moskva Was Attacked'

https://www.republicworld.com/world-new … eshow.html

the 'news' channel has been accused of practicing biased reporting in favour of the ruling BJP , political Bharatiya Janata Party policy has historically reflected Hindu nationalist positions. Arnab Goswami is the Indian news anchor and journalist, who is the managing director, the tv station is not without scandal and Goswami was arrested on November 2020.

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2022-04-18 03:56:55)

Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-04-20 06:03:22

Delta Airlines Tests Starlink Satellites for Inflight Wi-Fi

https://gizmodo.com/delta-airlines-test … 1848813442?

Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-05-03 04:02:02

About 150,000 people are using SpaceX’s Starlink internet service daily in Ukraine, government official says

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/02/ukraine … daily.html

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#26 2020-11-02 07:48:04

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#38 2020-12-19 13:24:11

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#42 2021-07-02 19:06:53

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#43 2021-11-13 19:54:53

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#44 2022-02-09 19:58:00

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