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SpaceX Applies To Test Internet Service Satellites
lpress writes: Elon Musk's SpaceX and Greg Wyler's OneWeb both hope to provide global Internet access using constellations of low-Earth orbit satellites. Neither company plans to be in operation for several years, but Musk's SpaceX is ready to test two satellites. They have applied for permission to launch two satellites that will orbit at 625 km. Time reports: "The application describes two satellites, the first of up to eight trial satellites that are each expected to last up to 12 months. The satellites will likely be built using the $1 billion that SpaceX raised mostly from Google earlier this year. For these first tests, the launch location will likely be Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast rather than Cape Canaveral in Florida, according to the orbital parameters in the application."
Um, yeah... I remember having a teacher in the 70's who said things like 'no space exploration until every human is fed' and 'explore the ocean first... blah, blah, blah'
My reply at thirteen was uncouth but similar to my feelings now, which could be summed up as, 'all of this money spent on space systems is a fraction of the annual interest on the money sponged up by the dictators who are preventing food and financial aid from making it to the starving people of their countries'
The benefits, or return on investment, for launching these sort of systems is significant or business people like Musk would never consider it. Compare that to the benefits of making another Mugabe as rich as King Solomon
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Geosynchronous or not.
It's being reported both ways. The Seattle Times version is they plan to deploy 4000 geosynchronous satellites, and Business Week says 700 low-earth orbit satellites.
It's plausible the test satellites will be a determining factor, and IIRC, Wyler has some advantage in spectrum rights. What I do find interesting is that Musk's chief competitor is Greg Wyler, a former Google hand, and Google/Fidelity committed a $billion US to Musk's company for a 10% stake.
We can perhaps all agree it is a very cool time to be alive.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
Yeah, I think that Seattle Times is confused, here is a decent article from Extreme Tech
http://www.extremetech.com/ext...
It comes down to GEO requires fewer satellites to cover the planet (because they have a wider horizon) but sucks because of long latency for travel time, i.e. HughesNet, compared to a lot of satellites to cover the planet in a lower orbit
It would not take 4000 satellites to cover the planet in GEO, but it would in a LEO where each low orbiting satellite has a limited view of the planet. You also get the advantages of shorter latency the closer that the satellite is to perpendicular over your head (closer to 5 thousands of a second than half a second). With a high density you also have easier handshaking between satellites and spread your customers out over more satellites for better bandwidth (both problems that Iridium faced)
I think that Virgin Galactic also made a pre-announcement for building a LEO network
Good times, good times
Wherever You Go, There You Are