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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #50 on: April 22, 2019, 02:28:39 PM »
SpaceX preps for Cargo Dragon, Falcon Heavy launches despite setbacks
Quote
Despite suffering the loss of the first Falcon Heavy Block 5 center core and a catastrophic failure of the first flight-proven Crew Dragon spacecraft in nearly the same week, SpaceX’s core operations continue as usual to prepare for multiple launches in the coming months.

The echoes of the past week’s failures and ‘anomalies’ will undoubtedly ring for months to come but SpaceX now finds itself in a unique situation. Despite the imminent start of a major failure investigation, it appears unlikely – at least for the time being – that it will impact the majority of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches planned for the rest of 2019. Currently on the Q2 2019 manifest are Cargo Dragon’s 17th operational mission (CRS-17), the first operational Starlink launch, Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite, the Canadian Radarsat Constellation Mission (RCM), and Falcon Heavy’s third launch (STP-2). ...
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-upcoming-launches-spring-2019/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #51 on: April 27, 2019, 01:42:37 AM »
Quote
Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight)
4/26/19, 7:03 PM
#SpaceX has been granted FCC approval to fly 1,500 #Starlink satellites at an altitude of 550 kilometers.

Full statement:
Quote
#2647 by Michael Baylor on 26 Apr, 2019 23:00

   SpaceX Statement



Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved SpaceX’s request to fly more than 1,500 of its Starlink satellites at an altitude of 550 kilometers. Additional information on the approval can be found here, and the following statement can be attributed to Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX:
 


“This approval underscores the FCC’s confidence in SpaceX’s plans to deploy its next-generation satellite constellation and connect people around the world with reliable and affordable broadband service. Starlink production is well underway, and the first group of satellites have already arrived at the launch site for processing.”
 


SpaceX is targeting no earlier than May for launch of a Starlink mission.
 


Last year, SpaceX became the first U.S.-based company to be licensed by the FCC to operate a NGSO constellation of more than 11,000 satellites.
 


Earlier this year, SpaceX submitted an application to operate 1 million user terminals as well as its first six gateways to provide the necessary communications links back from the satellites to the global Internet.

SpaceX intends to install sufficient gateway sites in the U.S. and around the world to ensure that the Starlink satellites have a visible gateway earth station with which they can communicate from all parts of their orbits.
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=36552.msg1940441#msg1940441
https://twitter.com/nextspaceflight/status/1121912653759303681
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #52 on: April 27, 2019, 02:07:16 AM »
More here about the superior safety aspects of the satellites’ design:

SpaceX proves higher than necessary safety of Starlink constellation
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/03/spacex-higher-necessary-safety-starlink-constellation/#more-60756
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vox_mundi

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #53 on: May 02, 2019, 02:57:01 PM »
SpaceX Capsule Was Destroyed in 'Anomaly'
https://phys.org/news/2019-05-spacex-capsule-anomaly-lawmaker.html

A space capsule suspected to have exploded last month in an incident characterized by manufacturer SpaceX as an "anomaly" was in fact completely destroyed, a US Senator confirmed Wednesday.

"The most recent SpaceX anomaly caused the complete loss of the (crew) capsule," Senator Richard Shelby, chairman of a Senate committee that manages NASA's budget, said during a hearing.
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crandles

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #54 on: May 04, 2019, 07:40:24 PM »
Perhaps best video footage so far of landing onto droneship from CRS-17 mission.

(The 4th was with them today  ;) )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQFhX5TvP0M&feature=youtu.be

Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #55 on: May 05, 2019, 04:18:32 PM »
The 17th SpaceX mission to the International Space Station, and the 39th booster landing.
(Watch a replay of the launch at https://www.spacex.com )

SpaceX launches space station resupply mission, lands rocket on drone ship
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/04/spacex-launches-space-station-resupply-mission-lands-rocket-on-drone-ship/

The payload includes an instrument to measure CO2 more precisely:
NASA  instrument heads to space station to map CO2
Quote
The space station instrument brings a new trick to the OCO observations - a swivelling mirror system that allows the spectrometer system to scan a much wider swath of the Earth's surface than would ordinarily be the case.
This "snapshot" mode means CO2 maps can be built up in a single pass over a target of special interest, such as a megacity - a task that will take OCO-2 several days.
"The snapshot mode allows us to grab snippets of data over an area of about 80km by 80km in two minutes. Right now we think we may spend about a quarter of our time making these mini maps, up to 100 a day," Dr Eldering said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48150645
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #56 on: May 08, 2019, 01:18:03 AM »
SpaceX to launch “dozens” of first-generation Starlink internet satellites on May 15; several other Starlink launches expected this year.
Quote
WASHINGTON — SpaceX’s first launch to carry a large number of Starlink broadband satellites is scheduled for May 15, according to a company executive.

Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said the launch will carry “dozens of satellites,” adding more prototypes to the two currently in low Earth orbit.

“This next batch of satellites will really be a demonstration set for us to see the deployment scheme and start putting our network together,” she said at the Satellite 2019 conference here. “We start launching satellites for actual service later this year.”

Shotwell said SpaceX anticipates launching two to six more times for its Starlink broadband constellation in addition to the May 15 launch. How many Starlink launches occur this year depend on the results of this first batch, she said.

SpaceX is planning a constellation that could number close to 12,000 satellites, according to filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The company said in 2017 that it would need 800 satellites in orbit for commercial service — a target estimated for the 2020 to 2021 timeframe. ...
https://spacenews.com/spacex-to-launch-dozens-of-starlink-satellites-may-15-more-starlink-launches-to-follow/

Reddit discussion (including low earth orbit and signal latency) here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/blv3mk/jeff_foust_shotwell_starlink_launch_now_scheduled/

——
SpaceX hits new Falcon 9 reusability milestone, retracts all four landing legs
Quote
What leg retraction does... is shave a significant amount of time off of the process of booster recovery and post-recovery processing. Instead of the normal process of totally dismantling and removing the legs piece by piece, stowing Falcon 9’s legs saves not only the time it takes to remove them but also the time it then takes to reinstall said legs for the next launch. At a minimum, this could save 12-24 hours of dedicated work, up to as much as several days according to CEO Elon Musk. Taken to the extreme, it’s likely that SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to lift a booster off the drone ship, retract its landing legs mid-air (or close), flip the booster horizontal, and lower it onto a transporter in one fluid movement.

If SpaceX can arrive at something approximating that in the near future, the company will be well on its way accomplish Musk’s goal of launching the same Falcon 9 booster twice in ~24 hours. Even further down the road, if or when SpaceX manages to optimize the reusability of its Falcon 9 boosters to the extent that almost zero refurbishment or in-depth inspection is needed between launches, minimizing the amount of human effort that goes into something as basic as preparing landing legs may actually have a significant impact on launch costs. For the time being, we get to enjoy the new and unusual spectacle of a giant reusable booster carefully stowing its landing legs for another launch attempt.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starts-falcon-9-landing-leg-retraction/
Photos and video at the link.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #57 on: May 12, 2019, 01:38:01 PM »
First Starlink launch within days! 

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 5/11/19, 9:43 PM
First 60 @SpaceX Starlink satellites loaded into Falcon fairing. Tight fit.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1127388838362378241
[Images below, with the Starman/Roadster payload for comparison.]
- If static fire [OK] on Mon, [launch] on Tues
- These are production design, unlike our earlier Tintin demo sats
- Much will likely go wrong on 1st mission. Also, 6 more launches of 60 sats needed for minor coverage, 12 for moderate.
- More details on day of launch, currently tracking to Wednesday
< Holy crap that's a lot of satellites, it almost looks flat-packed! I wonder what the dispenser mechanism for that looks like?
- It is flat-packed. No dispenser.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #58 on: May 12, 2019, 01:59:17 PM »
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reveals radical Starlink redesign for 60-satellite launch
Quote
...the very fact that the Starlink v0.9 payload can scarcely be parsed into recognizable satellites is thrilling. Aside from the rise of smallsats and cubesats, satellite design and engineering has been relatively stagnant for decades, particularly with respect to form factors and structural layouts. Most modern satellites are simply square-ish boxes with electronics inside and payloads bolted on the outside.
...
Even relative to fairly innovative constellations like the SpaceX-launched Iridium NEXT and OneWeb look downright mundane when examined alongside SpaceX’s inaugural Borg-cube-esque payload. SpaceX’s Starlink layout looks like nothing seen before. At the same time, it appears that the bizarre, new approach has likely maximized the density and stacking efficiency of dozens of satellites to an unprecedented degree.
...
According to Musk, SpaceX has actually entirely gotten rid of a satellite-dispenser middle-man, instead relying on the structure of the satellites themselves to act as their own launch adapters and deployment mechanisms. This has been done in the past on a far smaller scale – typically with 2-3 several-ton satellites – but has never been attempted at the scale SpaceX is just days away from launching.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-tease-revolutionary-design/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #59 on: May 15, 2019, 01:47:49 PM »
SpaceX (@SpaceX) 5/15/19, 12:53 AM
Weather is 80% favorable for [tonight’s!] Falcon 9 launch of Starlink. Launch window opens at 10:30 p.m. EDT [0230 GMT Thursday]→ spacex.com/webcast
https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1128523774888833024
- The booster supporting this mission previously flew in support of the Telstar 18 VANTAGE and Iridium-8 missions
(Photos at the link and SpaceX’s reply.)



Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 5/14/19, 7:53 PM
SpaceX is doing simultaneous competing builds of Starship in Boca Chica Texas & Cape Canaveral Florida
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1128448308970541056
Everyday Astronaut: So the teams don’t know what the other is doing? Then learn the best lessons from each team? Then the losing team gets voted off the island?
EM: The opposite. Any insights gained by one team must be shared with the other, but other team not required to use them.
EA: When will we start seeing those crazy flap / landing leg / fins be installed? It’s gotta be coming up soon down at Boca Chica!! Those are going to be an amazing piece of kit.
EM: Probably start installing end of next month

(These are in addition to the “Hopper” test module.)
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #60 on: May 16, 2019, 08:24:45 PM »
Upper-level wind shear has unfortunately scrubbed SpaceX’s first dedicated Starlink launch attempt, pushing Falcon 9 B1049’s third liftoff to no earlier than 10:30 pm EDT (02:30 UTC), May 16th.

Article linked below covers details revealed in a pre-launch conference call last night.

- These first 60 satellites alone will have a combined bandwidth of 1 terabit per second (125 GB/s), averaging around 17 Gbps per satellite.
- Combined, the solar arrays on the 60 Starlink spacecraft will produce up to 50% more power than the International Space Station’s football field-sized panels. This translates to ~180 kW, with each spacecraft thus producing around 3 kW total with an unusual single-panel array.

SpaceX has all the Starlink funding needed for an “operational constellation”
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-secures-starlink-funding-launch-scrubbed/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #61 on: May 19, 2019, 01:15:32 PM »
SpaceX postpones Starlink launch to update satellite software
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/17/spacex-postpones-starlink-launch-to-update-satellite-software/

Article contains further details describing the satellite deployment.



Second Starship build site, in Cocoa, Florida:   ;D ....

Quote
Viv (@flcnhvy) 5/18/19, 3:35 PM
“The man in the SpaceX cap, wearing a SpaceX shirt would not say whether this is a SpaceX facility, but the SpaceX trucks going in and out, the three Tesla cars in the parking lot & the big, shiny, metal cylinder under construction seem to be a dead giveaway" lol
https://twitter.com/flcnhvy/status/1129832918220718080
(Local News video clip at the link.)

Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 5/18/19, 3:48 PM
@flcnhvy Top Secret
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1129836119267262464
Gif at the link.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #62 on: May 21, 2019, 08:56:28 PM »
Next Falcon 9 launch attempt for the 60 Starlink satellites is scheduled for Thursday night.
Quote
The 90-minute launch window opens at 10:30 p.m. EDT Thursday (0230 GMT Friday), and there is a 90 percent chance of favorable weather, according to the U.S. Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron.
SpaceX scrubbed back-to-back launch attempts last week, first due to out-of-limits winds aloft, then to allow teams to upload new software for the 60 Starlink satellites mounted on top of the Falcon 9 rocket.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/15/falcon-9-starlink-1-mission-status-center/


SpaceX is the No. 1 rocket company by revenue, with $2 billion last year, Jefferies estimates
Quote
SpaceX has hurtled to the top of the launch industry over the past decade, last year bringing in more revenue than any other rocket company, according to Jefferies on Sunday.
“While SpaceX is newer to the market, their lower price point has allowed them to outpace peers in estimated annual launch revenues,” Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wrote in a note to investors, in a “deep dive” report.

…Jefferies charted last year’s launch revenues for SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (also known as “ULA,” a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin), Northrop Grumman, Europe’s Arianespace, Russia’s Khrunichev, India’s ISRO and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Jefferies also included Blue Origin as a competitor, although its New Glenn rocket is not expected to launch before 2021.

SpaceX logged $2 billion in launch revenue last year, the report said. In total, Jefferies estimated these companies’ rockets brought in about $8 billion in revenue in 2018. ...
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/spacex-revenue-2-billion-from-rockets-last-year-jefferies-estimate.html
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ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #63 on: May 24, 2019, 07:12:14 AM »
All satellites earned! This is a great day!

https://twitter.com/SpaceX

Quote
All 60 Starlink satellites online, solar array deployment coming up soon

Quote
Krypton ion thrusters activate in about 3 hours to raise orbit

ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #64 on: May 24, 2019, 07:12:41 AM »

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #65 on: May 24, 2019, 01:49:22 PM »
That deployment mechanism tho. Just release them and wait until the small differences in momentum between the satellites spreads them a away. The simplicity is just beautiful.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #66 on: May 25, 2019, 01:36:48 AM »
SpaceX’s first 60 Starlink broadband satellites deployed in orbit
Quote
Musk tweeted after Thursday night’s launch that all 60 Starlink satellites were “online.” He said the satellites were expected to extend their power-generating solar panels and activate their ion thrusters within a few hours.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/05/24/spacexs-first-60-starlink-broadband-satellites-deployed-in-orbit/

Official SpaceX photos via Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacex/47926137017/in/photostream/
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ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #67 on: May 25, 2019, 01:50:39 AM »
Fantastic video. Obviously, at least 50 of the 60 satellites successfully opened solar panels.


ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #68 on: May 25, 2019, 02:12:11 AM »
The first fleet SpaceX in the sky!


ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #69 on: May 25, 2019, 02:26:41 AM »
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1132078782217539584

Quote
Krypton thrusters operative, satellites initiating orbit raise every 90 mins

ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #70 on: May 25, 2019, 02:32:28 AM »
The first fleet SpaceX in the sky!



The length of the solar panels is about 15 meters - it is almost 10 floors. It is not surprising that satellites are clearly visible in the sky with the naked eye and the total power of their power system exceeds the ISS.

sidd

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #71 on: May 25, 2019, 09:42:22 AM »
Re: 15 meters - it is almost 10 floors.

0.15 meter per floor ?

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #72 on: May 25, 2019, 09:46:42 AM »
15/10=1.5

But I'd say a little over 5 floors.
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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #73 on: May 25, 2019, 09:52:35 AM »
teach me to keep track of decimal points.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #74 on: May 25, 2019, 12:50:03 PM »
I thought that was "floors" stacked up on each other (sans walls) after an earthquake.   ;D
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #75 on: May 25, 2019, 01:59:40 PM »
Quote
It is not surprising that satellites are clearly visible in the sky with the naked eye...

Well, with a monochrome, low-light camera, anyway. ;)

Let’s hope the satellites are less visible once they reach their final, higher orbit (341 miles, or 550 kilometers) — or astronomers worldwide will freak.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #76 on: May 25, 2019, 04:51:49 PM »
Fantastic video. Obviously, at least 50 of the 60 satellites successfully opened solar panels.
...

More on the video:
Quote
In the video, SpaceX's Starlink satellites pass overhead like a string of pearls, a brilliant trail of moving lights in the night sky. SpaceX launched the satellites into an initial orbit 273 miles (440 kilometers) above Earth. They are making their way to a final orbit 342 miles (550 km) up.

"Over the coming days the 'train' of objects will be making 2-3 passes each night," he wrote on his website. "As they are actively manoeuvering with their ion thrusters, they will be more spread out with each pass, so the 'train' will probably quickly dissipate."

Each Starlink satellite is equipped with Krypton ion thrusters to adjust its orbit. They'll use those thrusters to spread apart over time.

"Krypton thrusters operative, satellites initiating orbit raise every 90 mins," Musk wrote in a Twitter update today.

For comparison: There are only about 2,000 operational spacecraft in Earth orbit today. ...
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites-spotted-night-sky-video.html


So many orbits....
FCC approves SpaceX’s plan to operate Starlink satellites at lower altitude – Spaceflight Now
https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/04/30/fcc-approves-spacexs-plan-to-operate-starlink-satellites-at-lower-altitude/
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ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #77 on: May 25, 2019, 06:19:35 PM »
Quote
It is not surprising that satellites are clearly visible in the sky with the naked eye...

Well, with a monochrome, low-light camera, anyway. ;)

They say that the satellites are so bright that they are clearly visible in the almost daytime sky.

https://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/1132156216518610944

« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 06:42:04 PM by ArcticMelt2 »

ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #78 on: May 25, 2019, 06:25:00 PM »
Musk said that after a successful first launch, these satellites will be launched once a month.

ArcticMelt2

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #79 on: May 25, 2019, 06:41:43 PM »
Let’s hope the satellites are less visible once they reach their final, higher orbit (341 miles, or 550 kilometers) — or astronomers worldwide will freak.

I heard that the new satellite constellation will cause even more damage to radio astronomers.

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3702/1

But it is not terribly scary, since the terrestrial biosphere and terrestrial civilization only existed under the conditions of climatic (and tectonic) catastrophe for a few decades or centuries.

But SpaceХ using satellite Internet will be able to earn many billions to complete the construction of the reusable Starship and space shelters (for example, on Mars). According to his predictions, a million people will live on Mars in 100 years.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #80 on: May 25, 2019, 06:59:16 PM »
Consider for a moment what this leads to.

Every satellite launch to near earth orbit will have to pass through a mesh of thousands of satellites. Launch windows will now be broken into 30 second slices to penetrate this orbiting chaos. Because of the Indian ASAT test, the orbital debris field overlaps the low orbital band for the low band of these satellites. In time there will likely be debris impacts on them, further expanding the low orbit debris field and potentially expanding it upward even further.

The Indian ASAT test has already put limits on the lowest altitude at which space stations can reasonably safely orbit sandwiched between that band of debris and the previously created debris band above it from rocket explosions. That band is now about 400-420 km altitude. And that pushes the radiation exposures for station crews up considerably.

Every space station requires a couple of launches a year to boost them in their orbits, both for orbital control and resupply. Every one of those launches, and returns, will require traversing the SpaceX mine field. The risks of a Kessler cascade are growing rapidly, and with that, the risks to the space stations and their crews grow rapidly, as does the risk of making space access extremely hard and dangerous.

For satellites and craft intended to go higher, they will have to traverse three such bands, each with its own 30 second or so flight windows to maintain adequate separation. Access to polar orbiting altitudes and to geosynchronous orbit, as well as lunar injection are about to become extremely challenging.

Now imagine that some other company or country (China, India, Russia, Japan, the EU) wants to compete with SpaceX for global communication or internet. That means an equally large number of satellites in these same orbital bands. Penetration through these webs becomes a nightmare. Even tracking them all in real time becomes insanely difficult.

Then someone or some country decides to conduct their own ASAT test; or, some company or country decides to eliminate a competitor in space; or a war starts and the first objective is to take out spy satellites, global positioning satellites, or ....  Where does that leave us. A Kessler cascade then becomes nearly editable and access to Space all but ends, now requiring hardened craft designed to take impacts as they pass through the debris bands.

In time, each of these satellites will fail or run out of fuel. How then does anyone assure that these are intentionally brought back to earth?  How do they do that? Who does that?  Who is responsible?  Who is liable when the companies involve declare insolvency? Who cleans up their mess?

Then too consider the impacts of the massive continuous bombardment of the surface of the whole earth with 23 GHz radiation. What effects does that have? We have no comprehensive studies of that. Instead we are about to begin a massive uncontrolled experiment which is too expensive to shut down.

Add to that the unknown impacts of the massive roll out of 5G radiations.

Add to those the impacts of blue light from LEDs and a dozen other hazards they pose that are rapidly raising the risk and rates of hormone sensitive cancers as they disrupt sleep, and cause other horrible health impacts, both on humans and on creatures and plants in the environment.

Consider too the impacts on observing space. Ground based observatories will now be blinded to another large band of the radio frequency spectrum.

Now add the Chinese plan to launch craft whose purpose is to illuminate the night over major cities.

Then add the glittering day light and night sky traversed by all of the flashing solar sails from these craft.

Sooner or later some bozo, likely many will decide to project advertisements from space, or onto the moon.

Without comprehensive enforceable international regulation and agreements, this all could get very ugly in every sense of the word and of the phrase. But as with climate disruption, it appears that must go there first before we can see the dangers or avoid the outcomes.

Sam

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #81 on: May 25, 2019, 07:01:23 PM »
Consider as well, that access to space beyond the moon just became extremely challenging, further complicating explorations of our solar system, let alone launching craft to nearby stars.

And what precisely do we do if a manned mission to the space stations, the moon, or mars are impacted by debris? Can they be recovered or saved? Or will we have to simply hope they can navigate through the debris field as we helplessly watch?
« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 07:13:49 PM by Sam »

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #82 on: May 25, 2019, 07:10:00 PM »
Then add companies or countries deciding to collect and beam energy from space through this hobgoblin mess and the impacts on the satellites below them.

Add to that someone deciding to censor political or commercial speech, whether for national, political, military, or commercial reasons. How might they accomplish that? Will that be ASAT weapons? Will that be a new generation of disabling ASAT weapons that render satellites inert rather than blowing them up? I.e. directed EMP, or high intensity microwave or terrawave.

And what happens when that censorship extends beyond national limits or borders to objecting to the content generally and taking action to stop it. E.g. Country X objecting to some religious content of speech hosted via some platform serving some other country or area. Or Country Y objecting on moral grounds to what they consider pornography. Or ....

I rather suspect that we just entered a new and even more dangerous age.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 07:28:09 PM by Sam »

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #83 on: May 25, 2019, 07:16:30 PM »
And what happens when the sun cranks up again at the top of the next solar cycle or one of those after blasting out X100 radiation bursts, or slamming us with CMEs?

And what precisely happens when the next Carrington event happens? What becomes of these and other satellites?

How do we collectively deal with the resulting debris?
« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 07:33:20 PM by Sam »

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #84 on: May 25, 2019, 07:20:56 PM »
I would ask too what happens when the next super volcanic eruption happens. However, the answer to that is straight forward. It will launch rocks out to 1,500 km or so, causing its own form of the Kessler cascade, and clearing near earth orbit as the world recovers over the next hundred thousand to million years.

Beside that, the impacts to people and civilizations on the ground from the eruption will almost render moot any concerns about space.

We humans think in very narrow time windows. We see the world now and tend to think that it has always been like this, and always will be like this.

We easily forget that the natural world exists and goes on around us. Carrington events, super volcanic eruptions, massive droughts, plagues, and other natural events continue despite our ignoring them and their impacts.

We also so easily forget mans own foibles, our hostility to one another, our ability and desire to control one another and to inflict harm on one another, and on the consequences that follow.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 07:32:18 PM by Sam »

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #85 on: May 25, 2019, 07:33:12 PM »
Without comprehensive enforceable international regulation and agreements, this all could get very ugly in every sense of the word and of the phrase. But as with climate disruption, it appears that must go there first before we can see the dangers or avoid the outcomes.

The advantage of a low Earth orbit is that it is self-cleaning due to inhibition on the upper atmosphere.

In this regard, it can not be clogged, as the geostationary orbit (the main competitor Mask in the field of satellite Internet).

Broken satellites (for technical reasons or due to solar flares) will fall to Earth in just a few years. While in geostationary orbit, they will interfere with working satellites for many millions of years.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #86 on: May 25, 2019, 07:36:49 PM »
Without comprehensive enforceable international regulation and agreements, this all could get very ugly in every sense of the word and of the phrase. But as with climate disruption, it appears that must go there first before we can see the dangers or avoid the outcomes.

The advantage of a low Earth orbit is that it is self-cleaning due to inhibition on the upper atmosphere.

In this regard, it can not be clogged, as the geostationary orbit (the main competitor Mask in the field of satellite Internet).

Broken satellites (for technical reasons or due to solar flares) will fall to Earth in just a few years. While in geostationary orbit, they will interfere with working satellites for many millions of years.

This is true. However, it is complex. The outer whispers of the atmosphere extend out considerably far. Below about 500 km this is true. At higher altitudes it is true as well, but slower in effect. Slowly over time this will drag the booster debris field down into the low earth orbit band, rendering space out to 1,000 km extremely dangerous both to traverse and to stay in.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #87 on: May 25, 2019, 07:45:43 PM »
It is said that the brightness of satellites is about 2 stellar magnitudes (comparable to the brightness of the main stars of the Ursa Major).


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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #88 on: May 25, 2019, 07:51:51 PM »
Without comprehensive enforceable international regulation and agreements, this all could get very ugly in every sense of the word and of the phrase. But as with climate disruption, it appears that must go there first before we can see the dangers or avoid the outcomes.

The advantage of a low Earth orbit is that it is self-cleaning due to inhibition on the upper atmosphere.

In this regard, it can not be clogged, as the geostationary orbit (the main competitor Mask in the field of satellite Internet).

Broken satellites (for technical reasons or due to solar flares) will fall to Earth in just a few years. While in geostationary orbit, they will interfere with working satellites for many millions of years.

This is true. However, it is complex. The outer whispers of the atmosphere extend out considerably far. Below about 500 km this is true. At higher altitudes it is true as well, but slower in effect. Slowly over time this will drag the booster debris field down into the low earth orbit band, rendering space out to 1,000 km extremely dangerous both to traverse and to stay in.

In this case, the world space agencies should conclude an agreement on cleaning from inactive satellites of high orbits. Cheap reusable Starship missiles will be out-of-competition for this task.

« Last Edit: May 25, 2019, 07:58:11 PM by ArcticMelt2 »

zizek

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #89 on: May 25, 2019, 07:59:54 PM »

In this case, the world space agencies should conclude an agreement on cleaning from inactive satellites of high orbits. Cheap reusable Starship missiles will be out-of-competition for this task.




That sounds like a great idea. Good thing Space Travel is becoming increasingly privatized, and that private companies have an excellent tract record of cleaning up messes.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #90 on: May 25, 2019, 08:17:20 PM »
Also keep in mind that small debris has a large sail, so they go out of orbit much faster. Therefore, first of all it is necessary to remove large heavy satellites.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #91 on: May 25, 2019, 08:31:34 PM »
If anyone is interested in what Kessler Syndrome would look like, I can recommend the film called Gravity.
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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #92 on: May 25, 2019, 08:54:20 PM »
One more thought for the pile.

The "International" space station, i.e. the primarily US and partly Russian space station with other visitors and contributors is old and getting long in the tooth. It was intended to have been deorbited already. That didn't happen for political reasons. It really doesn't have a mission any longer, other than studying long duration space flight.

And in time, it will be brought back to earth. The ISS is far too large to allow it to reenter in one piece. Large chunks would impact the earth in a highly uncontrolled fashion with reasonably large risks to occupied cities in much of the industrialized world.

Accordingly, it has to be segmented and brought down in pieces. That is as hard to do, and as expensive as launching it was in the first place. The current configuration requires the equivalent of at least seven (or more) Soyuz capsules to provide the motive force to bring it all down. There isn't docking space for that many. That too argues strongly for segmentation.

As it is brought down, it has to now run the gauntlet of the SpaceX low orbital fleet. But, the pieces of the ISS are not spacecraft themselves and they will have extremely limited maneuvering capability. The SpaceX fleet will have to get out of the way!

That raises a very serious question. On earth, priority is given to the older things that came first. Pedestrians over horse and bicycles over cars and lorries over other things. Trains were made an exception to this. They are so massive that stopping on a whim is not an option.

Sail craft have dominance over vehicle traffic on bridges, and over powered boats, ... And again, the behemoths run by different rules.

So too in space there will have to be a precedence order on who must move and who must yield right of way. Likely that will mean that smaller maneuverable craft will be required to yield. Larger craft and of course - out of control craft get right of way. And as now happens with aircraft travel, even one plane being forced to divert has a cascading effect on others requiring intense air traffic control issues.

If that doesn't happen, or if SpaceX has not programmed in that reserve and ability, then collusions become much more likely.

If the US, the Russians, the Chinese, the Indians, or anyone else decides to put a space station in orbit, the same rules will likely apply, both for orbital ascent and for deorbital descent. In time, they will all want to have their own station in orbit, if for no other than political reasons.  Then too, their will no doubt be a mad rush to the moon and beyond.

That then leads to yet further concerns and questions.

Consider what happens if a new war in the middle east breaks out and turns hot. The chances are good that that escalates into the destruction of the oil terminals in Saudi, Oman, UAE, Iraq and Iran as various sides employ asymmetrical warfare to offset imbalances in other areas. Instantly the world is in an extreme energy crisis. Equally quickly companies and governments fail. War escalates. Ships are sunk in the gulf rendering passage difficult if not impossible - prolonging the lack of oil.

From the climate end of things this is good. From the human end of things in the near term this is catastrophic. Over the long term it is somewhat better, though the elimination of the gulf oil from world stocks is not in itself enough to turn the tide on climate destruction.

And then there is the sky.

As companies and countries go bankrupt and turn their attentions to war of various types, the resources to maintain the satellite fleets falter. SpaceX being one of the newest is most economically vulnerable. And like Iridium before it, SpaceX could go bankrupt leaving the SpaceX fleet as an orbital debris field.  But who has the controls? Who has the codes to order the craft to maneuver them, or to deorbit them? Do they even have enough fuel reserves to do a controlled re-entry? They are not after all full blown space craft. They are simple satellites with ion thrusters.

Etc...

The movie Gravity that Neven referenced now becomes prologue to the real event. Unlike in the movie, there won't be any hopscotching between space stations. It will just be one big battlefield of debris, with Astronauts, Cosmonauts and Tychonauts hoping they can navigate their return craft through them safely to earth.

Sam


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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #93 on: May 25, 2019, 09:09:45 PM »
As it is brought down, it has to now run the gauntlet of the SpaceX low orbital fleet. But, the pieces of the ISS are not spacecraft themselves and they will have extremely limited maneuvering capability. The SpaceX fleet will have to get out of the way!

Any module ISS is easy to fit in Starship. It is expected that in the coming month, the prototype of the ShipShip (StarHopper) almost in full size will make the first test flight to a height of 100 and 500 meters.





StarShip's volume is several times larger than that of the Space Shuttle. For comparison, the heaviest satellites (orbital station modules, Hubble space telescope, etc.) were launched on the Space Shuttle.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #94 on: May 25, 2019, 09:34:57 PM »
Yes, and the satellites will not take up much space. With a surface area of 360 million kilometers, 10 000 satellites are zilch. Each satellite will account for 4 thousand square kilometers of the Earth's surface. Consequently, the mutual distance between them will be on average more than 50 kilometers ...

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #95 on: May 25, 2019, 09:52:36 PM »

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #96 on: May 25, 2019, 10:05:31 PM »
Another fantastic video from Japan.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #97 on: May 25, 2019, 11:28:33 PM »
These satellites are in such low orbit that their orbit will decay in less than a year if it is not maintained by the Krypton engines. They are designed that way. 
I am an energy reservoir seemingly intent on lowering entropy for self preservation.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #98 on: May 26, 2019, 12:40:49 AM »
The current version of Starlink satellites are “95% demisable,” so when they de-orbit (within a few months at the low earth orbits) there will be minimal debris.  Future versions will be closer to 100%.

The satellites are aware of nearby debris (etc.) and can autonomously adjust their orbit to avoid it.

Quote
< I have only one criticism and before that, I'd like to make it clear that I love everything to do with SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. But I'm concerned about space debris. Is it possible to invent a way to use satellites to collect old satellite debris to balance or reduce debris?

Elon Musk (@elonmusk)
5/19/19, 6:39 AM
Easy to turn one of our Starlink satellites into a debris collector
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1130060332200747008
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

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Re: SpaceX
« Reply #99 on: May 26, 2019, 01:07:50 AM »
Yes, and the satellites will not take up much space. With a surface area of 360 million kilometers, 10 000 satellites are zilch. Each satellite will account for 4 thousand square kilometers of the Earth's surface. Consequently, the mutual distance between them will be on average more than 50 kilometers ...

If needing to dodge Starlink satellites was any significant impediment to other launches...  then, other countries, and space launch companies, would have made known their objections long before now.  But I have seen nothing against SpaceX’s Starlink plans — except by competing internet satellite companies!  ;)   
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.