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Starship is going to launch the equivalent of 1000 Hubble’s with 10 years. You’re thinking too small, this constellation is part of what enables you to someday

by zionic 5y ago

Starship is going to launch the equivalent of 1000 Hubble’s with 10 years. You’re thinking too small, this constellation is part of what enables you to someday go to space yourself and have your own observatory on the dark side of the moon etc.

yunohn 5y ago
Ah yes, the Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaire theory, but for astronomy. How amazing!
- cryptoz 5y ago
  Not really...Either Starlink and the rest fail, and the skies clear up again shortly as failed projects get de-orbited. Or they succeed and there will be many established bases in space for research and telescopes. It's not like the funds from Starlink are going to be used to build casinos in the desert or something. Every $ earned is going back into building better space tech. So if it fails no problem for space views from Earth, and if it succeeds the result is cheap access to space views from space.
  - yunohn 5y ago
    Could you link to any sources that claim Starlink profits will be used to facilitate astronomy research? Quite an absurd assumption without proof tbh.
    - cryptoz 5y ago
      First, I never said that. Please read my comment again. Second, Starlink exists to fund the start of a permanent self-sustaining colony of millions of people on Mars. I'm not sure how they would get to that without also doing and supporting a lot of astronomy research along the way.
      - yunohn 5y ago
        Your assumptions continue but to be unsupported by sources, but rather, blind fanboyism. Do you have proof that Starlink profits will go towards funding a Mars colony? Or that research into astronomical observations will be required for building a space colony? Or even if so, the overlap somehow helps astronomers on earth?
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        yunohn 5y ago
        > Who said I even support any of this anyway? You sure do sound like you support all of this; definitely don’t sound unbiased (or unhinged). > This is well-established fact. That’s completely untrue. A passing mention by Elon Musk, that Starlink could provide revenue for a Mars colony is not proof. Starlink is barely functional, not profitable, and does not show cash flow necessary to fund itself, let alone a Mars colony and astronomy research. Where are you getting a million people on Mars, doing astronomy research? > Is that a valid source to you? This is an incredibly bad faith discussion, fueled by someone with very little understanding of astronomy and economics. Of course you’re not a source.
        TeMPOraL 5y ago
        > Do you have proof that Starlink profits will go towards funding a Mars colony? Funding transportation to Mars to enable establishing the colony, and the question should be, do you have evidence this is not the case? Because this was what Musk/SpaceX have been saying since Starlink was barely an idea, and I haven't seen anyone prove they're lying.
    - m4rtink 5y ago
      AFAIK SpaceX and Elon have said Starlink profits will fund their Mars exploration plans. That effectively hands-on astronomy! ;-) On a more serious note, if you get the infrastructure going to get a lot of hardware and people to Mars, then getting some more modern space observatories should be quite easy.
  - AlexandrB 5y ago
    > Every $ earned is going back into building better space tech. And to the shareholders. Who may choose to build casinos in the desert with that money. > ... and if it succeeds the result is cheap access to space views from space. It's more accurate to say it will give us access to space views from space at the highest cost that the market will bear. I assure you this cost will be well above what 95% of the world will be able to afford for quite some time. After all, much of the world can't even afford regular flight.
    - TeMPOraL 5y ago
      > And to the shareholders. Who may choose to build casinos in the desert with that money. There's a reason SpaceX isn't public, and it's precisely that. Starlink was, since its conception, and still is, a way to fund the R&D for opening access to Mars.
      - 8note 5y ago
        That's until musk needs to bail out his family by buying one of their failing businesses like with solar city
tayo42 5y ago
> Starship is going to launch the equivalent of 1000 Hubble’s with 10 years. Really? link or something?
glenda 5y ago
Not everyone wants to go space, there is something nice about enjoying the stars from your own backyard or on a camping trip. I think this comes close to space pollution if they aren’t able to provide a tangible benefit to people on earth.
- capitainenemo 5y ago
  Surely inexpensive global high speed internet access is a tangible benefit. Even seems to offer a tangible benefit on that camping trip by increasing likelihood that you could contact someone in an emergency. Cell towers for hiker safety could be put in current dead zones. Not to mention as pointed out elsewhere, these aren't visible all the time so you could still enjoy the stars.
  - ghaff 5y ago
    I fully agree with respect to global high speed internet. However, I'd point out that if being able to contact someone in an emergency even in remote locations is someone's concern, that technology already exists in the form of personal locator beacons (which can also send and receive texts) using existing satellites.
    - capitainenemo 5y ago
      Sure. Absolutely existing geosync satellites exist, the iridium network exists. They are not very accessible tech, and neither would be used to stand up an emergency tower. And maybe it's just my impression, but it seems when I read stories of someone lost in the wilderness, it's often people who don't take precautions, are casual hikers. And for them, having a cellphone that functions, with maps, text and calls, could be lifesaving. As a personal note, a relative was doing coastal sailing (US east coast, bahamas), and while he wanted access to the iridium network for maps and emergency contact, he couldn't afford the data rates and device costs. He settled for downloaded maps and checking in by cellphone when possible. So, if he was lost out in the crossing to the bahamas, there would have been no contact. (yes, I realise that at present, Starlink is not yet offering ability to move around with your dish, so RV and boats are out of luck for now, apart from the possibility that more towers may spring up)
8note 5y ago
It also could easily be part of what ensures that nobody goes to space in the next 50+ years while kestler syndrome takes over
- kilotaras 5y ago
  > However, even a catastrophic Kessler scenario at LEO would pose minimal risk for launches continuing past LEO, or satellites travelling at medium Earth orbit (MEO) or geosynchronous orbit (GEO) [0] Blocking usability of LEO is not ideal, but blocking launches is really not the risk. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome#Implications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome#Implications

by zionic 5y ago

yunohn 5y ago

Ah yes, the Temporarily Embarrassed Millionaire theory, but for astronomy. How amazing!

cryptoz 5y ago
Not really...Either Starlink and the rest fail, and the skies clear up again shortly as failed projects get de-orbited. Or they succeed and there will be many established bases in space for research and telescopes. It's not like the funds from Starlink are going to be used to build casinos in the desert or something. Every $ earned is going back into building better space tech. So if it fails no problem for space views from Earth, and if it succeeds the result is cheap access to space views from space.
- yunohn 5y ago
  Could you link to any sources that claim Starlink profits will be used to facilitate astronomy research? Quite an absurd assumption without proof tbh.
  - cryptoz 5y ago
    First, I never said that. Please read my comment again. Second, Starlink exists to fund the start of a permanent self-sustaining colony of millions of people on Mars. I'm not sure how they would get to that without also doing and supporting a lot of astronomy research along the way.
    - yunohn 5y ago
      Your assumptions continue but to be unsupported by sources, but rather, blind fanboyism. Do you have proof that Starlink profits will go towards funding a Mars colony? Or that research into astronomical observations will be required for building a space colony? Or even if so, the overlap somehow helps astronomers on earth?
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        yunohn 5y ago
        > Who said I even support any of this anyway? You sure do sound like you support all of this; definitely don’t sound unbiased (or unhinged). > This is well-established fact. That’s completely untrue. A passing mention by Elon Musk, that Starlink could provide revenue for a Mars colony is not proof. Starlink is barely functional, not profitable, and does not show cash flow necessary to fund itself, let alone a Mars colony and astronomy research. Where are you getting a million people on Mars, doing astronomy research? > Is that a valid source to you? This is an incredibly bad faith discussion, fueled by someone with very little understanding of astronomy and economics. Of course you’re not a source.
      - TeMPOraL 5y ago
        > Do you have proof that Starlink profits will go towards funding a Mars colony? Funding transportation to Mars to enable establishing the colony, and the question should be, do you have evidence this is not the case? Because this was what Musk/SpaceX have been saying since Starlink was barely an idea, and I haven't seen anyone prove they're lying.
  - m4rtink 5y ago
    AFAIK SpaceX and Elon have said Starlink profits will fund their Mars exploration plans. That effectively hands-on astronomy! ;-) On a more serious note, if you get the infrastructure going to get a lot of hardware and people to Mars, then getting some more modern space observatories should be quite easy.
- AlexandrB 5y ago
  > Every $ earned is going back into building better space tech. And to the shareholders. Who may choose to build casinos in the desert with that money. > ... and if it succeeds the result is cheap access to space views from space. It's more accurate to say it will give us access to space views from space at the highest cost that the market will bear. I assure you this cost will be well above what 95% of the world will be able to afford for quite some time. After all, much of the world can't even afford regular flight.
  - TeMPOraL 5y ago
    > And to the shareholders. Who may choose to build casinos in the desert with that money. There's a reason SpaceX isn't public, and it's precisely that. Starlink was, since its conception, and still is, a way to fund the R&D for opening access to Mars.
    - 8note 5y ago
      That's until musk needs to bail out his family by buying one of their failing businesses like with solar city

tayo42 5y ago

> Starship is going to launch the equivalent of 1000 Hubble’s with 10 years. Really? link or something?

glenda 5y ago

Not everyone wants to go space, there is something nice about enjoying the stars from your own backyard or on a camping trip. I think this comes close to space pollution if they aren’t able to provide a tangible benefit to people on earth.

capitainenemo 5y ago
Surely inexpensive global high speed internet access is a tangible benefit. Even seems to offer a tangible benefit on that camping trip by increasing likelihood that you could contact someone in an emergency. Cell towers for hiker safety could be put in current dead zones. Not to mention as pointed out elsewhere, these aren't visible all the time so you could still enjoy the stars.
- ghaff 5y ago
  I fully agree with respect to global high speed internet. However, I'd point out that if being able to contact someone in an emergency even in remote locations is someone's concern, that technology already exists in the form of personal locator beacons (which can also send and receive texts) using existing satellites.
  - capitainenemo 5y ago
    Sure. Absolutely existing geosync satellites exist, the iridium network exists. They are not very accessible tech, and neither would be used to stand up an emergency tower. And maybe it's just my impression, but it seems when I read stories of someone lost in the wilderness, it's often people who don't take precautions, are casual hikers. And for them, having a cellphone that functions, with maps, text and calls, could be lifesaving. As a personal note, a relative was doing coastal sailing (US east coast, bahamas), and while he wanted access to the iridium network for maps and emergency contact, he couldn't afford the data rates and device costs. He settled for downloaded maps and checking in by cellphone when possible. So, if he was lost out in the crossing to the bahamas, there would have been no contact. (yes, I realise that at present, Starlink is not yet offering ability to move around with your dish, so RV and boats are out of luck for now, apart from the possibility that more towers may spring up)

8note 5y ago

It also could easily be part of what ensures that nobody goes to space in the next 50+ years while kestler syndrome takes over

kilotaras 5y ago
> However, even a catastrophic Kessler scenario at LEO would pose minimal risk for launches continuing past LEO, or satellites travelling at medium Earth orbit (MEO) or geosynchronous orbit (GEO) [0] Blocking usability of LEO is not ideal, but blocking launches is really not the risk. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome#Implications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome#Implications