SATELLITES

Elon Musk's company SpaceX Seattle based Satellite division plans to release more than 4,000 satellites into orbit in installments between 2019 and 2024 in a proposed orbiting digital communications array that would eventually consist of 4,425 satellites,would bring high-speed internet to all corners of the globe.

Internet speeds could reach one gigabit per second with latency of as low as 24ms.

As of Oct 2023 SpaceX have over 2 million Starlink customers.

SPACEX NON-GEOSTATIONARY SATELLITE SYSTEM (STARLINK)

The constellation is to provide full and continuous global coverage, utilizing a minimum elevation angle of 40 degree consisting of 4,425 satellites (plus in-orbit spares) operating in 83 orbital planes (at altitudes ranging from 1,110 km to 1,325 km), as well as associated ground control facilities, gateway earth stations and end user earth stations. Designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users worldwide. Advanced phased array beam-forming and digital processing technologies within the satellite payload give the system the ability to make highly efficient use of Ku- and Ka-band spectrum resources and the flexibility to share that spectrum with other licensed users. User terminals operating with the SpaceX System will use similar phased array technologies to allow for highly directive, steered antenna beams that track the system’s low-Earth orbit satellites.

Test satellites

The first test satellites for SpaceX’s global internet constellation launched on the 22 Feb 2018.

The prototype spacecraft, known as TinTin A and B( previously Microsat 2a and 2b), were included as secondary payloads on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, launched on Thursday 22th FEB 2018.

TinTin A and B both equipped with SpaceX’s own custom-built electric propulsion for orbital maneuvering.

Ground Stations

Documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission indicate that ground stations will be housed at SpaceX facilities in Redmond and Brewster, Wash as well as at the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif and facilities in McGregor and Brownsville in Texas. Another ground station is to be placed at Tesla’s headquarters in Fremont, Calif.

Elon Musk said in Seattle, back in 2015:

“Over time, to build a full version of the system, we’re talking about something that would be $10 or $15 billion to create, maybe more, and then the user terminals, would be at least $100 to $300 depending on which type of terminal. This is intended to generate a significant amount of revenue, and help fund a city on Mars. So in looking in the long term, and saying what’s needed to create a city on Mars, well, one thing’s for sure: a lot of money. So we need things that will generate a lot of money.”

On the 23rd of May 2019 SpaceX launched 60 Starlink production test Satellites they have full up and down link capability using phased array transponders but did not include the laser intersatellite links. 

These satellites were interesting in many respects from their flatpack low volume design to allow the launch of 60 on a Falcon 9 rocket in one go without needing to use a payload deployment  mechanism, using electric ion thrusters these Hall effect thrusters using Krypton for spacecraft propulsion. One interesting ability they have is to actively avoid space junk, SpaceX said " Starlink satellites are capable of tracking on-orbit debris and autonomously avoiding collision." This is achieved by uploading the NORAD tracking information.

Musk said each batch of 60 satellites represents about a terabit’s worth of useful connectivity — that is, a trillion bits of data. “If you add up all the solar panels on the system, it’s actually more solar power than the International Space Station,” he said.

Starlink Launch 23 May 2019

Mars communication satellite system

The ultimate goal of this project is to fund a Mars based communications system and also deep space communication between Earth and Mars.

Elon Musk said that the Mars internet coverage will consist initially of 4 internet spacecraft supported by relay satellites for when Mars is in opposition to Earth to maintain continuous communication between Earth and Mars.

Only four internet satellites are needed initially as it just needs to cover the area around the base on Mars.

SEE ALSO my Starlink Blog of seeing the Starlink satellite pass overhead Northampton UK

China's proposed "G60 Starlink"