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from the orbital-mechanics-is-circular-reasoning dept.
SpaceX submits paperwork for 30,000 more Starlink satellites
SpaceX has asked the International Telecommunication Union to arrange spectrum for 30,000 additional Starlink satellites. SpaceX, which is already planning the world's largest low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation by far, filed paperwork in recent weeks for up to 30,000 additional Starlink satellites on top of the 12,000 already approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC, on SpaceX's behalf, submitted 20 filings to the ITU for 1,500 satellites apiece in various low Earth orbits, an ITU official confirmed Oct. 15 to SpaceNews.
[...] In its filings, SpaceX said the additional 30,000 satellites would operate in low Earth orbit at altitudes ranging from 328 kilometers to 580 kilometers.
[...] It is not guaranteed that, by submitting numerous filings, SpaceX will build and launch 30,000 more satellites. Tim Farrar, a telecom analyst critical of SpaceX, tweeted that he was doubtful the ITU will be able to review such big filings in a timely manner. He sees the 20 separate filings as a SpaceX effort to "drown the ITU in studies" while proceeding with its constellation.
Nothing a Starship can't launch.
More coverage:
Previously: FCC Authorizes SpaceX to Provide Broadband Satellite Services
SpaceX Seeks Approval for 1 Million Starlink Ground Stations, Faces Pentagon Audit
FCC Approves SpaceX Lowering Orbit of Internet SatellitesRelated: SpaceX Valued at $25 Billion... and More
SpaceX Starlink Satellite Prototypes Include Packed, Flexible Solar Arrays
SpaceX to Launch 60 Starlink Satellites at Once, and More
SpaceX Satellites Pose New Headache for Astronomers
Most of SpaceX's Starlink Internet Satellites are Already on Track
Three of SpaceX's Starlink Satellites have Failed
Near Collision Between ESA and SpaceX Satellite
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 17 2019, @12:35PM (1 child)
"Hey boss, remember I thought we could build the network with 12k, well it looks more like 30k."
Dilbert excepted, given the resources required to put up any, is it plausable that the estimate was that wrong?
The game is early here, should any request show that there is still at least half of the available resource left.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Thursday October 17 2019, @01:05PM
12k + 30k.
There are all kinds of users:
SpaceX sees U.S. Army as possible customer for Starlink and Starship [spacenews.com]
The bottom line is that these satellites are relatively cheap, the launch capability will become super cheap (Starship), and they can begin operating with a small fraction of the total, scaling up over the years.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]