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I had not realized they were going with such an incredible number of satellites. Absolutely incredible.
by saalaa 5y ago
I had not realized they were going with such an incredible number of satellites. Absolutely incredible.
- s1artibartfast 5y agoIt is just the tip of the iceberg. They have FCC approval and plans for nearly 12,000 (as of 2019), and are considering a possible later extension to 42,000.
- Kye 5y agoIt's the tradeoff of having such low orbits that a StarLink customer might be closer to a satellite than a terrestrial ISP's nearest node. Lower orbit means less surface coverage, so you need more satellites. That's why old-school satellite internet providers put them 20,000+ miles out and have pings pushing or exceeding one second.
- sidewndr46 5y agoThe 22,236 mile figure comes from the desire for a geosynchronous orbit. Not a desire for increased coverage. Many satellites at that altitude use specialized antennas to limit their coverage to specific areas of the earth. There is no sense in wasting the little available energy on a satellite in sending RF to places where you don't intend to provide coverage.