11:44 a.m. BST Thursday (11:44 p.m. EDT Wednesday) SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched its 25th batch of 60 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The mission was the seventh launch of Falcon 9 booster B1060. To date, SpaceX has launched 1,505 satellites into space and currently has 1,434 in orbit, a small step closer to its goal of 42,000.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell (Gwynne Shotwell) previously said that after the 28th batch of satellite launches, SpaceX will be able to achieve “full global interconnection”.
The Falcon 9 first stage rocket booster has launched the U.S. Space Force’s GPS III satellite, Turkey’s Turksat 5A satellite and four of SpaceX’s “Starlink” missions, and SpaceX still intends to recover it this time, with the expectation that it will land in the Atlantic Ocean on its return from space aboard a ship called the “Please Read the Instructions”. “Just Read the Instruction, an unmanned automated booster recovery vessel in the Atlantic Ocean.
Source: SpaceX
SpaceX’s Starlink program consists of 4,408 satellites in the first phase, and the company’s satellites are designed as a flat plate that will allow SpaceX to stack them compactly inside the Falcon 9 rocket’s 5.2-meter-wide payload fairing. The satellites are equipped with advanced technology, including four phased-array antennas and two parabolic antennas, to enable low-latency, high-bandwidth communications.
Figure|A space photo of the 60 Starlink satellites orbiting Earth prior to deployment (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX’s Starlink satellites are equipped with a “satellite tracker” that detects the satellite’s altitude and position to ensure the accuracy of broadband connectivity, and an automatic collision avoidance system that uses the U.S. Department of Defense’s debris tracking database to predict and avoid collisions with other spacecraft or space debris.
SpaceX previously filed nearly 200 applications with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate its 2,814 satellites at lower orbits after the company. on April 27, the FCC approved SpaceX’s application to change its orbit.
According to public information, the FCC allowed SpaceX to move the next 2,814 satellites from the originally planned orbits of 1,100 to 1,300 kilometers to near-Earth orbits of 540 to 570 kilometers. This is roughly the same orbital range as the more than 1,300 satellites the company was previously operating.
The FCC’s adoption of the resolution was seen by the media as another victory for Elon Musk’s ongoing development of broadband networks. This “victory” is not without its share of opposition from competitors such as Amazon and Viasat.
The objections included the fact that SpaceX’s actions would increase electromagnetic interference, in addition to the chance of satellite collisions and orbital debris.
The FCC generally rejected these objections, stating, “Based on our review, we conclude that SpaceX’s modifications enhance the user experience, including service to polar regions that are often not covered. In addition we conclude that satellites operating at lower altitudes are beneficial for reducing orbital debris. As previously assessed by the committee, SpaceX’s modifications do not present significant interference problems.”
Viasat and others argue that Starlink satellites have a high failure rate, which has the potential to increase the risk of space accidents.
The FCC noted that SpaceX’s satellite failure rate is a significant issue of contention, and cited multiple filings between SpaceX and Viasat and other companies in recent months on the issue. Of the last 723 satellites launched (as of mid-February 2021), 720 were maneuverable.
The FCC said, “It is critical for SpaceX to maintain a high level of reliability in its satellite processing, which reduces the risk of satellite collisions.” As a condition of the resolution’s passage, SpaceX is required to submit semi-annual reports to provide the number of space accidents involving satellites, the number of incidents requiring maneuvers to avoid collisions, and the number of satellites that have been handled by the company. SpaceX must also submit reports if three or more disposal failures occur in any given year.
The FCC believes this resolution could prompt SpaceX to change its deployment of satellites in a safer direction to provide broadband service throughout the U.S., including remote areas that are not well served by existing networks or cannot be reached.”
SpaceX is currently offering test qualifications for network service to regular users with devices that receive and transmit signals for $499 and a monthly fee of $99. SpaceX promises download speeds of 50-150MB/s.
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