SpaceX has launched another batch of its Starlink satellites — the usual complement of 60 of the low Earth orbit spacecraft, which will join the more than 1,000 already making up the existing constellation. This is the fifth launch of Starlink satellites for SpaceX this year, and the 20th overall. From a report: Earlier this year, SpaceX opened up Starlink access…
Tag: starlink
Starlink Will Hit 300Mbps and Expand To ‘Most of Earth’ This Year
Starlink broadband speeds will double to 300Mbps “later this year,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on Twitter this week. SpaceX has been telling users to expect speeds of 50Mbps to 150Mbps since the beta began a few months ago. From a report: Musk also wrote that “latency will drop to ~20ms later this year.” This is no surprise, as SpaceX promised…
SpaceX Says Its Starlink Satellite Internet Service Now Has Over 10,000 Users
SpaceX disclosed in a public filing on Thursday that its Starlink satellite internet service now has “over 10,000 users in the United States and abroad.” From a report: “Starlink’s performance is not theoretical or experimental … [and] is rapidly accelerating in real time as part of its public beta program,” SpaceX wrote in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission. Elon…
How to prevent crashes between orbiting satellites
Thousands more satellites will soon orbit Earth. We need better rules to prevent space crashes. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/satellites-prevent-space-crashes…
SpaceX Re-Schedules Record-Breaking Launch With 143 Satellites to Sunday
Ars Technica reported Saturday that “The Falcon 9 rocket was ready. Its payload of 143 satellites were ready. But Mother Nature was not ready.” Although SpaceX pressed ahead with fueling of the Falcon 9 booster on Saturday morning, the company scrubbed the launch attempt of the Transporter-1 mission a few minutes before the window opened due to weather. Conditions at Cape…
SpaceX Plans Record-Breaking Launch With 143 Satellites
SpaceX plans to launch the most satellites ever deployed in a single mission, 143, on Saturday morning from Florida for more than a dozen customers. UPI reports: A 2017 mission by the India Space Research Organization launched 104 spacecraft, which would be the previous record if the SpaceX launch is a success. Liftoff aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral…
SpaceX’s 1st Starlink launch of 2021 is now set for Wednesday
SpaceX intends to launch tens of thousands of Starlink satellites, with lifespans of around 5 years, into low-Earth orbit. The goal is global internet access. Astronomers are concerned. Here’s how to watch Wednesday’s launch. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/spacexs-1st-starlink-launch-of-2021…
Darkened SpaceX Satellites Can Still Disrupt Astronomy, New Research Suggests
“SpaceX’s attempt to reduce the reflectivity of Starlink satellites is working, but not to the degree required by astronomers,” reports Gizmodo:
Starlink satellites with an anti-reflective coating are half as bright as the standard version, according to research published in The Astrophysical Journal. It’s an improvement, but still not good enough, according to the team, led by astronomer Takashi Horiuchi from the…
EU Must ‘Move At Speed’ On Space Broadband Network
The European Commission says it wants its newly proposed satellite mega-constellation to be offering some sort of initial service in 2024. The BBC reports: The first priority is to fill in gaps in broadband coverage where ground infrastructure cannot reach, but later it will power services such as self-driving cars. The project will in some ways mirror America’s Starlink and the…
Is that a UFO?! There’s probably an explanation
Most Unidentified Flying Objects aren’t actually unidentified. Here’s a list of phenomena, either natural or human-made, that people often mistake for UFOs. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/if-its-not-a-ufo-what-is-it…