from the look-at-all-those-shooting-stars dept.
SpaceX originally asked permission to launch nearly 30,000 second-gen satellites:
SpaceX first asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to deploy 29,988 second-generation Starlink satellites back in 2020. Now, the FCC has granted its request — partially, at least. The commission has given the company the go-ahead to build, deploy and operate up to 7,500 satellites for its Gen2 constellation at the altitudes of 525 km, 530 km and 535 km. In its announcement, the FCC said approving 7,500 satellites for the constellation will allow SpaceX to provide broadband internet to users worldwide, even those living in far-flung areas.
The FCC is limiting the number of satellites SpaceX can deploy for now, though, to address concerns about orbital debris and space safety. It says the limited grant will help maintain a safe space environment and protect other satellite and terrestrial operators from harmful interference. Several companies and even NASA previously raised concerns about SpaceX's plan to deploy an additional 30,000 satellites, considering the FCC already granted it permission to launch 12,000 first-gen Starlink satellites.
[...] SpaceX chief Elon Musk previously revealed that the second-gen Starlink satellites will be much bigger than their predecessor and will need to be launch on the company's Starship launch vehicle. One of the reasons they're bigger is because of their massive antennas that will have the capability to communicate with phones here on Earth, like mobile towers in the sky. Indeed, the the collaboration T-Mobile and SpaceX announced in August will depend on Starlink's second-gen satellites. The companies aim to end mobile deadzones with their partnership and to provide connectivity wherever there's a clear view of the sky, even if it's in the middle of the ocean.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Gaaark on Sunday December 04 2022, @03:15PM (6 children)
Tell Musk he has to do whatever the US gov tells him to, such as giving free satellite usage to Ukrainians, etc. Etc. etc.
Only then does he get the go ahead.
Don't agree, Musky? Then 'F' the 'F' off.
Oh, and any debris has to be cleaned up by him, paid for by him: my dog poops out in public, i have to clean it up; so should he.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 4, Insightful) by canopic jug on Sunday December 04 2022, @03:22PM (5 children)
However, for most of us, the satellites themselves [wired.com] are the dog poop [nature.com].
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Gaaark on Sunday December 04 2022, @04:03PM (4 children)
I know:
sigh.
They're going to allow him to fill the skies with so much poop that he'll have to worry every time SpaceX launches.
"I know: let's fill the sky 'til we can't leave the planet for fear of dying from debris hits! God I'm brilliant!"
"We can't launch any more Hubble type craft because the poop out there keeps hitting the mirrors!"
"We've launched so much shit that we can no longer see the moon, but man, my phone gets good reception!"
Sigh. We are a stupid species.
Star Trek should remove him from their list of visionaries and rename him as a Klingon or Borg or something.....
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 04 2022, @04:16PM (3 children)
Sigh. That's some of the laziest orbital junk rhetoric I've ever seen, but I shouldn't expect much from an autism.
Hint: there are already thousands of satellites in orbit.
Hint: the Starlink orbits are so low that the satellites will be out of there in no time.
Hint: space is big, and 3D too.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Gaaark on Sunday December 04 2022, @07:31PM (2 children)
So lets add thousands more. Smart.
Gee... so all those complaints about debris already being a hazard are just nonsense, especially if we add more and more debris! Logical!
'Smart' and 'logical': just what I'd expect from a 'non-autism'. You get your degree on-line?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Informative) by deimtee on Sunday December 04 2022, @10:05PM (1 child)
The whole Kessler syndrome scenario is bullshit for Starlink. It's too low, any collision is going to leave all the pieces in orbits that intersect the atmosphere.
Launching spacecraft already need to avoid all the thousands of known satellites and debris, thousands more won't actually make that much difference, especially since they are all in a narrow altitude range.
The only real objection is light pollution for astronomers.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 2) by canopic jug on Tuesday December 06 2022, @08:58AM
The only real objection is light pollution for astronomers.
You're forgetting cultural heritage. The light pollution disturbs more than just astronomers. For many, being able to see the constellations unimpaired is an important inheritance of key cultural value and not to be messed with.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Sunday December 04 2022, @06:32PM (1 child)
They already have coverage out in the ocean. I watched the movie, 'Battleship', and the star was calling ship-to-shore on his cell phone. /just a little sarcasm
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 05 2022, @01:26AM
You watched that movie? All the way through? Are you ok? There should be a support group for this.
(Score: 3, Informative) by sonamchauhan on Monday December 05 2022, @01:08AM (2 children)
Most of us, like it or not, are paying Mr. Musk a bit of our income
Mostly because many of his enterprises, through happenstance or vison, get government support.
Tesla: EV subsidies by various governments. Eg : "Tesla has received more than $3.2 billion worth of direct and indirect California subsidies and market mechanisms since 2009, according to an estimate from Newsom's office."
Starlink: subsidised by various government for the Ukraine war
SpaceX: NASA is a paying customer
Twitter: a recent exception, but he's trying.
(Score: 2) by deimios on Monday December 05 2022, @06:23AM (1 child)
By that logic we are all paying for the bankers that crashed the economy in 2008 (and now).
Same with the war. Same with a lot of ugly things we'll be finding out maybe in 20-30 years time. Like some pipes exploding and some extremist groups being funded.
The idea is that we don't get a choice in the matter. Taxes are mandatory for those just poor enough to not be able to afford the loopholes and those who have something to lose.
(Score: 2) by sonamchauhan on Tuesday December 06 2022, @11:54PM
True enough.
Technically, we get a choice in the matter by voting. But due a lack of intensity in thinking and raising concerns by and with the general public, special interests get a much freer ride than they should. Hence the loopholes, formulaic decision making, and lack of accountability for many decisions.