Explained: What is SpaceX's new Starlink?

Results of public beta testing of SpaceX’s Starlink, which provides global internet coverage from space are out.

SpaceX is developing a low latency, broadband internet system to meet the needs of consumers across the globe.

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX providing satellite Internet access. The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), working in combination with ground transceivers. SpaceX plans to sell some of the satellites for military, scientific, or exploratory purposes. The SpaceX satellite development facility in Redmond, Washington houses the Starlink research, development, manufacturing, and orbit control. The cost of the decade-long project to design, build, and deploy the constellation was estimated by SpaceX in May 2018 to be about US$10 billion.

Product development began in 2015. Two prototype test-flight satellites were launched in February 2018. Additional test satellites and 60 operational satellites were deployed in May 2019. As of September 2020, SpaceX was launching up to 60 satellites at a time, aiming to deploy 1,440 of the 260 kg (570 lb) spacecraft to provide near-global service by late 2021 or 2022. SpaceX planned a private beta service in the Northern United States and Canada by August 2020 and a public beta in November 2020, service beginning at high latitudes between 44° and 52° North.

Concerns were raised about the long-term danger of space debris from placing thousands of satellites above 600 km (370 mi), and the negative impact on optical and radio astronomy on Earth. In response, SpaceX lowered the orbits to 550 km (340 mi) and below, and launched prototype satellites with anti-reflective coating and an experimental sunshade.

On 15 October 2019, the United States Federal Communications Commission submitted filings to the International Telecommunication Union on SpaceX's behalf to arrange spectrum for 30,000 additional Starlink satellites to supplement the 12,000 Starlink satellites already approved by the FCC.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Results of public beta testing of SpaceX’s Starlink are out.
• Users who took the test have confirmed blazingly fast results.
• One of the users, who took the test, posted on Reddit that he got the streaming 1440p and 4K with zero buffering on YouTube.

Results of public beta testing of SpaceX’s Starlink, which provides global internet coverage from space are out. Users who took the test have confirmed blazingly fast results. To take the beta test, users had to purchase the Starlink ground equipment for $499 and along with an additional monthly fee of $99 for services.

One of the users, who took the test, posted on Reddit that he got the streaming 1440p and 4K with zero buffering on YouTube. He wrote, “Latency averages about 34ms, I'm seeing some jitter increase when obstacles are in the path. It's on the roof with the ridgeline mount. I have a couple of trees in the way, but getting steady high speeds. Noticed a couple of interruptions, probably from satellite transitions, but almost 100% steady since initial setup.

I actually uploaded this post using Starlink.”

“As a few different people are looking for details on this, interruptions are about ten to fifteen seconds and seem to happen every few minutes. I haven't noticed enough repetition to determine, but I'm suspecting it may be when the satellite goes behind the few trees inside the obstruction area rather than satellite handoffs. The app claims Starlink has not been obstructed recently, though, so I'm uncertain,” it added.

Starlink had earlier sent invites to people who had signed for the beta program. A user on Reddit had shared the key points Starlink had mentioned about its Internet plan. As per the post on Reddit, the program called Better Than Nothing Beta offered estimated speeds between 50mbps to 150mbps, estimated latency 20ms to 40ms. The phased array antenna and router would cost a user $499 while the monthly subscription would cost around $99.

“With performance that far surpasses that of traditional satellite internet, and a global network unbounded by ground infrastructure limitations, Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable. Starlink is targeting service in the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near-global coverage of the populated world by 2021,” the Starlink website reads.

Elon Musk plans new laws for Mars

Musk had revealed his plans of creating self-sustaining cities on Mars. The reports state that future colonies created by SpaceX would use Starlink satellites to provide internet connections to people. Starlink services provided to Earth or Moon will be governed by the laws of the State of California. “For services provided on Mars, or in transit to Mars or other colonisation spacecraft, the parties recognise Mars as a free planet and that no Earth-based government has authority or sovereignty over Martian activities,” the governing law states.

Source