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posted by on Friday May 05 2017, @05:37PM   Printer-friendly
from the wireless-everything dept.

SpaceX today said its planned constellation of 4,425 broadband satellites will launch from the Falcon 9 rocket beginning in 2019 and continue launching in phases until reaching full capacity in 2024.

SpaceX gave the Senate Commerce Committee an update on its satellite plans during a broadband infrastructure hearing this morning via testimony by VP of satellite government affairs Patricia Cooper. Satellite Internet access traditionally suffers from high latency, relatively slow speeds, and strict data caps. But as we reported in November, SpaceX says it intends to solve these problems with custom-designed satellites launched into low-Earth orbits.

SpaceX mentioned 2019 as a possible launch date in an application filed with the Federal Communications Commission in November and offered a more specific launch timeline today.

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday May 06 2017, @02:33AM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday May 06 2017, @02:33AM (#505282) Journal

    Maybe they need an onboard nav and engine system, to correct deteriorating orbits. Except, that adds weight and complexity, which adds to cost. Apparently, they see these things as "disposable". You're right, there's a reason everyone puts everything way up high. The orbits remain stable for longer further out. There's probably a "sweet spot", where they figure they can make money while losing satellites at an acceptable rate.

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  • (Score: 2) by deimtee on Saturday May 06 2017, @05:11AM

    by deimtee (3272) on Saturday May 06 2017, @05:11AM (#505336) Journal

    Apparently, they see these things as "disposable".

    They're right, in context. By the time these ones fall out of the sky they will have better, more efficient ones to replace them. Spending money and lift mass to give them a longer life will reduce their operating capacity and is just a waste.
    Orbits at 1000 km may technically be subject to atmospheric drag, but it will still be many decades to centuries before these things crash on their own.
    The real reason satellites are placed further out is so that they are easier to track, all the way out to geostationary.

    --
    If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.