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This morning, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 with a payload that could be pregnant in the long term. The primary mission was to put Paz, a satellite operated past Hisdesat and intended for Earth observations, in orbit. The other two satellites are the first broadband satellites SpaceX has adult for Project Starlink.

Starlink, if you don't recall, is SpaceX's program to build a network of relatively depression-cost advice satellites. The initial plan called for 7,500 satellites; the new program is to launch 12,000. Of these, 7,518 satellites volition sit in very-low globe orbit (VLEO), while the residual sit in a standard non-geosynchronous low Earth orbit.

This satellite network would connect to ground base stations using the Five band, which ranges from 40 to 75GHz. SpaceX hasn't disclosed exactly which frequency bands information technology would be using, and that's an of import question.WaterAttenuation

The degree of attenuation increases as frequency increases, but it doesn't increase at a linear rate. The start bound is ~38GHz, when the molecular composition of water. Afterwards, at 60GHz, we see attenuation sharply fasten, to the bespeak that 98 percent of all energy is absorbed. If Google is targeting higher frequencies, attenuation is less of a trouble, though 10-20 pct of it will be lost depending on which frequencies the company elects to adopt.

The company isn't promising any quick-deployment miracles at this point, and is focused on gaining the technical expertise it needs to make a network of 12,000 satellites able to communicate with the footing and each other.

I'thousand glad to see companies innovating on designs and capabilities, only I'yard leery of satellite communication networks. If you've e'er used a satellite for internet, you'll know why. Information technology's not uncommon for satellite ping times to be 600-800ms, and some satellite ISPs enforce strict quotas on available monthly service. Information technology's never been a preferred solution at any time. Information technology'due south also harder to deal with equipment breakdowns once the satellite is in orbit. Edifice and launching replacements takes fourth dimension, and the other satellites in orbit may or may not cover the same geographical areas all that well.

Elon Musk thinks he can bring the technology to market and park his satellites in a low enough orbit to reduce latency. He'due south not the just company working on this problem. A VLEO orbit could bring the satellite network close enough to Earth to close near of the gap between terrestrial internet and space net.