How Will Elon Musk’s Starlink Deliver Internet Around the Globe?

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SpaceX recently filed to launch a whopping 30,000 additional satellites to power its plans for global internet coverage. What does this mean for us, and how will it work?
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In October 2019, Elon Musk’s SpaceX sought permission to launch 30,000 satellites into orbit—on top of the 12,000 already approved satellites—as a part of its Starlink megaconstellation.

Starlink aims to beam high-speed internet around the globe, starting with service in North America as early as 2020.

But…why?

Global connectivity.

At least, that seems to be the main selling point. Making the world wide web truly world wide by having a web of satellites whose orbits criss-cross to provide global coverage would benefit people in rural areas, or other places where current internet service is spotty, unreliable, or too expensive.

But 42,000 satellites launched into space would increase the current number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit nearly 10-fold—that is a lot of high-tech metal.

And SpaceX isn’t the only company racing toward satellite broadband, with companies like OneWeb and Amazon’s Project Kuiper pursuing similar goals.

But is it worth the cost? What does it mean for other spacecraft? Will Starlink successfully achieve global connectivity?

Learn more about the ambitious Elon Musk project that aims high and promises huge returns on this episode of Elements.

#ElonMusk #SpaceX #Starlink #GlobalConnectivity #WiFi #Internet #Seeker #Elements #Science

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https://youtu.be/_z8PiR7OkIg
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Read More:
Will Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites harm astronomy? Here’s what we know.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/05/elon-musk-starlink-internet-satellites-trouble-for-astronomy-light-pollution/
“Though the Starlink satellites are designed to not survive re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, they could still pose a substantial problem if they are damaged in orbit, or take a while to come apart.”

SpaceX Requests to Launch Another 30,000 Satellites For Controversial Starlink Network
https://www.sciencealert.com/spacex-has-filed-a-request-to-launch-another-30-000-starlink-satellites
“Once filings are issued, SpaceX will be given a seven-year deadline which specifies that they are obligated to launch at least one satellite. This satellite will then need to operate at the specified frequencies for a period of 90 days.”

The manmade ‘stars’ changing the night sky
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190918-is-humanity-changing-the-night-sky-with-artificial-stars
“‘Capitalism has reached stratospheric heights,’ says Ghina Halabi, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, UK. ‘I’m 100% against this space pollution and commodification of the night sky.'”
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