6 ms·

I would imagine something like Starlink could help with the deadzone issue?

qppo 6y ago
We already have satellite communications for media and voice, but iirc they have fairly limited bandwidth constraints. I think figuring out a way to get the flight recorder data to operators in realtime would be the first problem to solve, and I don't think it's been done yet for commercial flights. There was a startup around like 5-6 years ago (gone now, can't find any info on them, their name was "Flamingo" something or other) that had a proof of concept solution but they burned out quickly.
- phantom784 6y ago
  Latency is probably the bigger issue for aircraft, but Starlink could help there as well.
koatuok 6y ago
Can Starlink work with a vehicle that is in motion? And at 500 mph? I had assumed that it only worked with a stationary transceiver.
- elcritch 6y ago
  Perhaps not initially, but IIRC, they use "digital" antenna so it should be upgradable to track in real-time. Perhaps even by an OTA update.
  - Skunkleton 6y ago
    There is nothing stopping the use of a traditional auto tracking antenna either.
    - elcritch 6y ago
      Except for accuracy, mechanical wear, price, and size.
      - Skunkleton 6y ago
        Price is in five figures, and the others are not real problems. How do you think datalinks on military aircraft work?
- sacred_numbers 6y ago
  Yes, it can, although I can't be sure it will work at 500 mph. They tested it with a C-12, which has a top speed of 338 mph, and were able to transfer data at 610 Mbps. Source: https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-to-start-offering-starlink-broadband-services-in-2020/ https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-to-start-offering-starlin...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- jccooper 6y ago
  Yes. The USAF has already tested it successfully on several aircraft. A Starlink receiver always has the satellite(s) in fairly fast motion, and phased array antennas can "move" quite quickly, so it's possible that there's no particular challenge to an aircraft scenario. Then again, the basic rooftop unit may make some simplifying assumptions and aircraft would require better hardware and/or software, but that's not a big problem as they can handle a higher price point.
deleted 6y ago
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grishka 6y ago
Imagine someone piloting a plane with at least several hundreds of milliseconds of lag.

qppo 6y ago

We already have satellite communications for media and voice, but iirc they have fairly limited bandwidth constraints. I think figuring out a way to get the flight recorder data to operators in realtime would be the first problem to solve, and I don't think it's been done yet for commercial flights. There was a startup around like 5-6 years ago (gone now, can't find any info on them, their name was "Flamingo" something or other) that had a proof of concept solution but they burned out quickly.

phantom784 6y ago
Latency is probably the bigger issue for aircraft, but Starlink could help there as well.

koatuok 6y ago

Can Starlink work with a vehicle that is in motion? And at 500 mph? I had assumed that it only worked with a stationary transceiver.

elcritch 6y ago
Perhaps not initially, but IIRC, they use "digital" antenna so it should be upgradable to track in real-time. Perhaps even by an OTA update.
- Skunkleton 6y ago
  There is nothing stopping the use of a traditional auto tracking antenna either.
  - elcritch 6y ago
    Except for accuracy, mechanical wear, price, and size.
    - Skunkleton 6y ago
      Price is in five figures, and the others are not real problems. How do you think datalinks on military aircraft work?
sacred_numbers 6y ago
Yes, it can, although I can't be sure it will work at 500 mph. They tested it with a C-12, which has a top speed of 338 mph, and were able to transfer data at 610 Mbps. Source: https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-to-start-offering-starlink-broadband-services-in-2020/ https://spacenews.com/spacex-plans-to-start-offering-starlin...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
jccooper 6y ago
Yes. The USAF has already tested it successfully on several aircraft. A Starlink receiver always has the satellite(s) in fairly fast motion, and phased array antennas can "move" quite quickly, so it's possible that there's no particular challenge to an aircraft scenario. Then again, the basic rooftop unit may make some simplifying assumptions and aircraft would require better hardware and/or software, but that's not a big problem as they can handle a higher price point.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

grishka 6y ago

Imagine someone piloting a plane with at least several hundreds of milliseconds of lag.