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SpaceX Wins FCC Approval To Deploy 7,518 Satellites (bloomberg.com)
SpaceX won permission to deploy more than 7,000 satellites, far more than all operating spacecraft currently aloft, from U.S. regulators who also moved to reduce a growing risk from space debris as skies grow more crowded. From a report: Space Exploration Technologies has two test satellites aloft, and it earlier won permission for a separate set of 4,425 satellites -- which like the 7,518 satellites authorized Thursday are designed to provide broadband communications. It has said it plans to begin launches next year. Space companies riding innovations that include smaller and cheaper satellites -- with some just 4 inches long and weighing only 3 pounds -- are planning fleets that will fly fast and low, offering communications now commonly handled by larger, more expensive satellites. Right now there are fewer than 2,000 operating satellites, and the planned additional space traffic demands vigilance, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said before the agency voted Thursday on a variety of space-related matters including SpaceX's application, debris rules, and other space matters.
...Nobody in the FCC will face any consequences if it all goes horribly wrong, so where is their motivation to not let it go horribly wrong? And how do they propose to fix things when (not if) it does?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
The worst timeline. But also the funnest.
It's Interesting that the approval by a bureaucratic agency in a single nation is all that's required to make significant use of the finite orbit of all the World.
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
By treaty, the governments of the world agreed to some regulation on putting up satellites (see the Kessler syndrome if you're enough of an idiot to believe this isn't required, including leaving open the option to travel to Mars for the next few generations), and because communications ones were the predominate type then (and probably still now), it falls to the US FCC for US entities. If SpaceX wasn't a US company, it would be the government entity designated for it. See also the US company that got a FCC denial, then slipped their launch past Indian regulators and got ISRO to launch their too tiny payloads.
FCC owns the radio frequency available above US ground. Those satellites will use those frequencies to communicate with ground. They are approving those.
America doesn't own space. What right do they have to give permission anyway? Space belongs to all of us.
We regulate access to common spaces so idiots like you don't ruin it for everyone else. Please go study the concept of tragedy of the commons. You want to launch a rocket from US territory? Then the US government is going to have a few questions on the behalf of the citizens of the US. You can launch from somewhere else if you have the means but don't be surprised when other governments have similar questions.
I mean "USians" of course, not America, because America is a continent, not a country.
Please recall what the "A" in USA stands for. You see any other countries with that word in the name of their country? Were you confused at all about what someone is saying when they say "American"? No you were not so take your trolling elsewhere.
It's Interesting that the approval by a bureaucratic agency in a single nation is all that's required to make significant use of the finite orbit of all the World.
You have a better idea? One that actually could be accomplished?
Let me make sure I understand you clearly here: Having an FCC to regulate communications is Fascism. Sure thing bud, whatever you say.
This Starlink super-constellation has a real opportunity to disrupt the current broadband market in the US in a big way; not to mention the world. Broadband _anywhere_; at sea, in the air, rural areas, extreme areas... put up your antenna and you're good to go. Excited to see what the bandwidth and pricing look like. I hear "5g like speed" and "inexpensive". But we'll s ee. Also, I wonder if this project (and others with similar goals) explain some of the incredible slow-walking of rural broadband initiatives. Perhaps it's one of those "Why spend millions digging trenches and laying wire to get folks onboard when this kind of thing is just around the corner". Sucks to be in a rural area with maybe just shoddy DSL... but maybe the worm has turned here.
Current number of ALL satellites in orbit is 4857, BTW, and the number of _working_ ones is less than half of that.
Just so you know the scale of what they're trying to do here.
she so fat, 7518 smaller fat women orbit around her.
The same right they have to authorize the building and launching of ships from their shores.
There is only one right in this world, the right to do what nobody stops you from doing. Space doesn't belong to everyone, space belongs to whoever can assert dominance and prevent anyone else from doing anything about it. Unless you are China or Russia your chances of flapping your arms and flying to the moon are probably higher than stopping the US from doing something if it can't be convinced to stop itself.
How did we get into the state of Fascism so advanced, a private enterprise needs government's permission to offer services to other private enterprises?
If you think this is fascism, you have NO idea what that word means.
Anyway the answer to your idiotic question is in the Constitution, specifically the bits about interstate commerce. When those services involved common spaces of finite quantity (like radio frequencies) you need an independent regulator to make sure the Tragedy of the Commons does not occur. We codified this into the Constitution precisely for circumstances like this.
Being a private enterprise doesn't mean you get to do anything you want without limitation regardless of the impact on your fellow citizens.
That's right: any attempt to regulate the radio spectrum is FASCIST!!!1!!!
The only way to manage radio transmissions that without enslaving Free Citizens is a free-for-all. Let the man with the biggest amplifier and the biggest dish win; any attempt to keep him down is tyranny.
You don't need the government's permission to offer services. You need the government's permission to do various things that may be required for you to offer those services. For instance, try selling radio communication services at the same frequency as you local TV station, and see how ell that goes. My guess is it's less than 24 hours until your door gets kicked in and you get arrested. But it's not because "you sold the service", it's cause you're fucking up the TV signals
Your ad here. Ask me how!
Yes, having government control interactions between private entities is an element of Fascism. Not surprising, the FCC happened, when Fascism was hot, introduced by an authoritarian President beloved by contemporary Fascists.
I'm not your "bud" — you should not even dream about any kind of familiar affiliation, or you may be overcome by suicidal disappointment upon waking up...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
I think this might mark the beginning of the end of humanity sending signals out into space indiscriminately, at least at the scale we do now. I'm talking primarily about high-frequency radio, television, and radar to a lesser extent. When people ask why we don't hear from other civilizations, ours may be an example. Our own signals started around 1939 and could potentially be dramatically reduced (though probably never completely) by 2039, so just 100 short years.
If someone comes along and sells relatively inexpensive access to the entire planet, there's not much reason to build expensive and high-powered towers and dishes trying to overcome limited range (and thus limited customers). I'll bet by 2100 we'll have become pretty quiet, electromagnetically speaking.
I'm sorry, but your opinion seems to be wrong.
SpaceX are merely delivering other people's devices to space. Even if we were to stipulate, that those other people do need government's permission, SpaceX does not... Or, rather, should not...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
They will launch up to 20 or 25 sats per launch. So a few hundred launches. But yes, it will be many launches. The thing is that SpaceX is right now the only company who could do that: With the first stage being reusable at least 10 times, they will need to build only about 30 or 40 of them. With all other launchers the launch costs alone would be prohibitive.
But sure, it's a fucking big project on an altogether new scale. It can easily break SpaceX. Or earn them enough money to build their Mars spacecraft.
Right: SpaceX ought to be able to disperse truckloads of sand and gravel in long-lived orbits if paying customers ask them to.
Pretty sure their goal is to just dump out a convenient small amount 10-20 as a piggy back on each commercial flight. That would work well with the decaying orbit strategy with cheapo satellites. It would be pretty amazing for innovation since they could constantly be upgrading the specs as they constantly replenish their numbers..
They could also send out good sized swarms when they do test flights. I could imagine they just dump all 7500 out in one go with a dedicated launch.
First of all, thank you for admitting, it is none of Federal Communications Commission's business. Second, yes, if dispersing gravel is how one chooses to pursue happiness, Executive Branch has no right to interfere with the pursuit.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Someone else on this discussion pointed out that somehow, the FCC does seem to be in charge of regulating satellite orbits. Somebody has to do it, regardless of you ill-formed opinions.
But more importantly, In you libertarian paradise, what happens to the happiness of the Free Citizens who paid billions of dollars for the existing satellites that will get wiped out by all this sand and gravel? Are they now supposed to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights, stand their ground and shoot these gravel lofters in retaliation for destroying their property?
It's a low orbit, around 550km height for phase1, and 340km for phase2.
The higher orbit, 550km, is expected to decay naturally in 5 years for a totally non-controllable satellite, but 6 months for one under control. They plan to de-orbit them intentionally near end-of-life, so it is only if one has utterly failed that the 5 year figure comes into play. Normally, they should re-enter in 6 months or less from EOL.
The lower orbit should decay naturally in 1-2 years, and of course faster under a controlled EOL.
The satellites are small compared to most, which means they decay faster.
Then I can only inquire once again: "WTF does SpaceX need FCC's permission?"
An unsubstantiated claim...
They can sue the dispenser of the gravel for damages, duh...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Elon Musk drove with his golden Tesla to the sea to do some diving.
He donned his golden air bottle and his golden diving mask and went for a dive.
In the deep waters he detected a bottle with a golden cap. He took it and swam back to land.
After opening the bottle a genie appeared. 'Thanks a lot for rescuing me, I was down there for centuries!'
Musk replied: 'Glad to help' and began preparing to dive again.
The genie said: 'What about the 3 wishes?'
Musk sighed and asked.'What do you need?'
Yow, that's a lot of turnover.
Sounds like a full employment program for SpaceX.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
They can sue the dispenser of the gravel for damages, duh...
On what basis? Who controls right-of-way in outer space? The FCC?
Who is going to enforce any judgements? Could it be the very same jackbooted fascist government that you spoke of?
More like the space above the whole planet, for American entities. Per an international treaty, every spacefaring nation has a body to regulate the actions of what they put in orbit. It's the FCC here as an artifact of history because communications satellites so dominated the early ones, and probably still do overall. Also makes one less entity to apply to for communications since they regulate the radio communications any satellite has to use.
Property damage.
The government. Unlike retirement, healthcare, education, and the like, enforcing law actually is the government's prerogative even according to Libertarians.
But for the Executive to enforce the judgement, the Judiciary would need to first render it. Because separation of powers...
Creation of FCC — pushed by an authoritarian President beloved by contemporary Fascists — was Congress abdicating (some of) its powers to the Executive.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Under just what law and in what jurisdiction do you have standing to sue over "property damage" in outer space? After all, you left your property far outside the boundaries of this nation altogether.
What kind of a deterrent do you think these lawsuits would be anyway? Clearly, some jackass could destroy hundreds of billions of dollars worth of hardware with just a few million dollars invested in launching space debris. Would any of these people actually get remuneration? Of course not.
It makes far more sense for the government to simply forbid launching space debris, just like it forbids you from murdering people. Luckily, feeble-minded hard-core libertarians who can't comprehend this fact consistently comprise about 1% of the electorate, so we don't really have to worry about such scenarios.
Thank you, once again, for confirming, FCC has no jurisdiction.
In a free country, the government can not "simply forbid" anything. In the US in particular, the Congress has to pass a law making the practice illegal first — just as murder already is.
It is too bad, your kind of feeble-mindedness is so wide-spread...
Argumentum ad populum... A fallacy...
This is my last response to you — I have no time for hostile morons. If you are sincerely interested in the problem of cooperation in space, look into how humanity has cooperated at sea, outside of any country's territorial waters. But you aren't going to find anything justifying the FCC's mandate there either. Nor is there anything about "simply forbidding" private enterprises to sail where they please.
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
With the BFR it would just take one launch.
Why is Snark Required?
The amazing thing is that FCC Director Pai didn't bow to his big telco masters and deny SpaceX the permit. They must be behind in their payments.
Organization? You must be joking..