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Samsung Researchers Propose 4,600 Micro-Satellite Space Network
Bismillah writes: Samsung Electronics has proposed a network consisting of 4,600 micro-satellites that could act as backhaul for terrestrial cellular networks and take low-cost internet access worldwide. They project that by 2028, cellular and Wi-Fi traffic will exceed 1 zettabyte/month, and their goal is to design a system with equivalent capacity (PDF). "With the satellite-based backhaul, cellular and wi-fi deployments become practical in remote regions of the earth where there is no wired Internet infrastructure." The plan would require significant amounts of wireless spectrum, as well as satellites capable of 1 Tb/s or higher.
I watched the Horizon programme about space junk the other week - it was good - and one of the points raised in it was concern about cubesats not having any movement capability and being cheap and considered "disposable" and thus much more likely to become part of the junk problem that other, expensive, satellites.
4600 micro sats sounds to me like even more junk waiting to happen. Keep it up and we'll not be able to have any nice things in orbit soon.
Even better question - who is gonna clean up all that space junk once the satellites die, or track it all while it's active? That's a lot of pieces that can potentially puncture a rocket, satellite, or crew capsule on it's way up, and we've got a lot of hazardous crap up there as it is.
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
Even better question - who is gonna clean up all that space junk once the satellites die, or track it all while it's active? That's a lot of pieces that can potentially puncture a rocket, satellite, or crew capsule on it's way up, and we've got a lot of hazardous crap up there as it is.
This concern cannot be heard over the thunderous roar of Capitalism.
Neither can common sense.
Don't worry though. The irony will hit humanity like a fucking brick to the face once we find we have the technology to get off this rock, and yet cannot figure out a way to safely navigate through the cesspool of debris we've put in orbit.
Every business plan based on making "remote regions" pay has failed. "Remote" regions that have the money have already installed infrastructure that will make this expensive and everyone else is too poor to make it worthwhile. Either a government steps in like the USG did for Iridium or this will disappear in short order.
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue