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I watched the announcement. Knowing Musk, I'll believe it when I see it, but it sounds promising. Apparently the G2 Starlink satellites will be equipped with

I watched the announcement. Knowing Musk, I'll believe it when I see it, but it sounds promising. Apparently the G2 Starlink satellites will be equipped with large antennas to support cellular users on the existing spectrum. Video was live-streamed, and still available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzli-Ww26Qs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzli-Ww26Qs

cma 4y ago
Garmin inReach but works on any phone and a bit more bandwidth so not restricted to emergency messages. Also free with most T-Mobile plans (inReach is currently expensive, but may drop in response if that isn't a capacity only issue).
- Nextgrid 4y ago
  Doesn't this require specific hardware?
  - cma 4y ago
    They claimed it will work on most existing phones, but they did caveat with "aspirationally" all over the place.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      If it’s send-only than a satellite receiving a ping isn’t insane - they’re only 340 miles up.
      - mlindner 4y ago
        It's not send only. It's a standard cell phone service.
        ars 4y ago
        It's text and data only, no voice.
    - mlindner 4y ago
      I didn't hear any claims of "aspirationally".
  - mlindner 4y ago
    No, it's will be using standard cell phones with no additional hardware on the cell phone.
- dboreham 4y ago
  > Garmin inReach but works on any phone That's because it's an app that connects to an Iridium phone via BT.
  - assttoasstmgr 4y ago
    No he's asserting that this is like Garmin inReach, but is higher bandwidth, magically works with any existing phone, and is free. Which we all know isn't going to happen. 80% of the commenters here have fallen for the banana in the tailpipe. Again.
- seltzered_ 4y ago
  > Also free with most T-Mobile plans I can't find anything suggesting a bundling or partnership between garmin inreach (iridium) and T-mobile. inReach has a separate subscription.
ganoushoreilly 4y ago
Curious that the Apple event next month is themed "Far Out" with space imagery. I imagine this is the modems that were widely reported last year as being part of the 13/14 SOCs I think this is very interesting and a smart move for Starlink to improve profitability options in the long term.
- SllX 4y ago
  The rule of thumb for Apple Event invitation themes is to just assume they mean nothing—or that they’re just screwing around with people who like to read them like tea leaves.
mlindner 4y ago
This isn't just SpaceX, this is T-Mobile as well.
- fogleman 4y ago
  "This isn't just Theranos, this is Walgreens as well."
  - hackernewds 4y ago
    Touche
  - mlindner 4y ago
    Why do people keep comparing to Theranos when Starlink is already being used by hundreds of thousands of people? Starlink exists. In fact, SpaceX/Starlink now operates more satellites in Low Earth Orbit than every other country and business in the world, combined. Theranos had no proven track record. Like, what's enough to satisfy you?
    - mplewis 4y ago
      [flagged]
      - mlindner 4y ago
        Conveniently ignoring all the evidence of success? I wish I could charlatan my way into thousands of satellites in space, a rocket that flies into space weekly and a car company changing the flow of the entire industry. Sounds pretty good for a mere charlatan. This is like the old argument about faking the moon landings. By the time you add up all the things you'd need to fake/people you'd need to buy off in order to make it bullet proof, you end up with it being actually cheaper to actually fly to the moon.
      - ryan93 4y ago
        ?
      - 4y ago
fragmede 4y ago
Self-driving cars have proven harder than expected, but given the rest of Musk's tale, I wouldn't bet against him. SpaceX is already launching satellites, and Starlink is already providing service. T-mobile owns the frequencies for it, it's "just" a matter of building the satellites and putting them into space. If the claim were more outlandish, it would be harder to buy, but the technology is eminently doable.
- extheat 4y ago
  Yes, I expect this to be one of many announcements going forward, with Amazon Kuiper and OneWeb coming into the party -- eventually. However, SpaceX has the advantage of vertical integration (they launch their own rockets) which substantially helps with costs.
  - the_duke 4y ago
    Also the benefit of time. Kuiper hasn't launched anything yet, and all their launchers are still in development - BOs own rocket New Glenn, Arianne 6, and ULA Vulcan. Vulcan probably isn't too far off, 2023, but they will need time to ramp up production. It'll also be a lot more expensive than for SpaceX. Amazon will probably have to heavily subsidize Kuiper. I reckon they hope the market is big enough for multiple providers.
- wongarsu 4y ago
  Just a couple days ago they announced that they will also be using Falcon 9 to launch the new Gen2 Starlink satellites, instead of the original plan to launch all of them using the still-in-development Starship. So it seems like Musk is pretty committed to doing this in a reasonable timeline, with smaller technology risk.
  - jacquesm 4y ago
    Starship's orbital test may happen somewhere in the next 6 months, so until they succeed with that Falcon 9 is all they have (it's plenty though).
nebula8804 4y ago
Seems like it requires Starship to launch unless I heard it wrong? Its too big for Falcon 9. Starship is still not space ready so it seems like it really depends on that program moving forward before we see these satellites in space. Given Musk's track record, I expect probably a year extra delay before it finally is opened to users. He did mention that they will probably produce a mini version of the satellite if Starship is delayed too much. Would they need to develop this mini satellite?
- Robotbeat 4y ago
  I would bet money there will be some availability of the service by 2023, when they said it'd be available. I know the meme is that Musk's track record is to delay, but Starlink has been regularly underestimated and has kept pace pretty successfully. Much more than industry insiders expected.
- fastball 4y ago
  At the event, Musk said if Starship isn't ready they'll try to launch a slightly smaller version of the Gen2 sats on Falcon 9.
Robotbeat 4y ago
The technology has already been demonstrated in a similar form by Lynk. The large gen2 satellites have already been built, and you can see the deployed fitted into the Starship prototype in Texas, which is planning an orbital flight test shortly (low single digit months is the desired plan, but don’t get too excited until the static fire tests have been completed on both the booster and the upperstage). They have several other Starships being built as we speak, you can watch them on livestreams on YouTube right now, and these will be the ones that start deploying the new satellites (the first Starship will not enter a permanent orbit as they want to ensure that if there’s a problem with Starship it doesn’t stay in orbit as debris… like Shuttle External Tanks, it’ll splash down in another ocean).

cma 4y ago

Garmin inReach but works on any phone and a bit more bandwidth so not restricted to emergency messages. Also free with most T-Mobile plans (inReach is currently expensive, but may drop in response if that isn't a capacity only issue).

Nextgrid 4y ago
Doesn't this require specific hardware?
- cma 4y ago
  They claimed it will work on most existing phones, but they did caveat with "aspirationally" all over the place.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    If it’s send-only than a satellite receiving a ping isn’t insane - they’re only 340 miles up.
    - mlindner 4y ago
      It's not send only. It's a standard cell phone service.
      - ars 4y ago
        It's text and data only, no voice.
  - mlindner 4y ago
    I didn't hear any claims of "aspirationally".
- mlindner 4y ago
  No, it's will be using standard cell phones with no additional hardware on the cell phone.
dboreham 4y ago
> Garmin inReach but works on any phone That's because it's an app that connects to an Iridium phone via BT.
- assttoasstmgr 4y ago
  No he's asserting that this is like Garmin inReach, but is higher bandwidth, magically works with any existing phone, and is free. Which we all know isn't going to happen. 80% of the commenters here have fallen for the banana in the tailpipe. Again.
seltzered_ 4y ago
> Also free with most T-Mobile plans I can't find anything suggesting a bundling or partnership between garmin inreach (iridium) and T-mobile. inReach has a separate subscription.

ganoushoreilly 4y ago

Curious that the Apple event next month is themed "Far Out" with space imagery. I imagine this is the modems that were widely reported last year as being part of the 13/14 SOCs I think this is very interesting and a smart move for Starlink to improve profitability options in the long term.

SllX 4y ago
The rule of thumb for Apple Event invitation themes is to just assume they mean nothing—or that they’re just screwing around with people who like to read them like tea leaves.

mlindner 4y ago

This isn't just SpaceX, this is T-Mobile as well.

fogleman 4y ago
"This isn't just Theranos, this is Walgreens as well."
- hackernewds 4y ago
  Touche
- mlindner 4y ago
  Why do people keep comparing to Theranos when Starlink is already being used by hundreds of thousands of people? Starlink exists. In fact, SpaceX/Starlink now operates more satellites in Low Earth Orbit than every other country and business in the world, combined. Theranos had no proven track record. Like, what's enough to satisfy you?
  - mplewis 4y ago
    [flagged]
    - mlindner 4y ago
      Conveniently ignoring all the evidence of success? I wish I could charlatan my way into thousands of satellites in space, a rocket that flies into space weekly and a car company changing the flow of the entire industry. Sounds pretty good for a mere charlatan. This is like the old argument about faking the moon landings. By the time you add up all the things you'd need to fake/people you'd need to buy off in order to make it bullet proof, you end up with it being actually cheaper to actually fly to the moon.
    - ryan93 4y ago
      ?
    - 4y ago

fragmede 4y ago

Self-driving cars have proven harder than expected, but given the rest of Musk's tale, I wouldn't bet against him. SpaceX is already launching satellites, and Starlink is already providing service. T-mobile owns the frequencies for it, it's "just" a matter of building the satellites and putting them into space. If the claim were more outlandish, it would be harder to buy, but the technology is eminently doable.

extheat 4y ago
Yes, I expect this to be one of many announcements going forward, with Amazon Kuiper and OneWeb coming into the party -- eventually. However, SpaceX has the advantage of vertical integration (they launch their own rockets) which substantially helps with costs.
- the_duke 4y ago
  Also the benefit of time. Kuiper hasn't launched anything yet, and all their launchers are still in development - BOs own rocket New Glenn, Arianne 6, and ULA Vulcan. Vulcan probably isn't too far off, 2023, but they will need time to ramp up production. It'll also be a lot more expensive than for SpaceX. Amazon will probably have to heavily subsidize Kuiper. I reckon they hope the market is big enough for multiple providers.
wongarsu 4y ago
Just a couple days ago they announced that they will also be using Falcon 9 to launch the new Gen2 Starlink satellites, instead of the original plan to launch all of them using the still-in-development Starship. So it seems like Musk is pretty committed to doing this in a reasonable timeline, with smaller technology risk.
- jacquesm 4y ago
  Starship's orbital test may happen somewhere in the next 6 months, so until they succeed with that Falcon 9 is all they have (it's plenty though).

nebula8804 4y ago

Seems like it requires Starship to launch unless I heard it wrong? Its too big for Falcon 9. Starship is still not space ready so it seems like it really depends on that program moving forward before we see these satellites in space. Given Musk's track record, I expect probably a year extra delay before it finally is opened to users. He did mention that they will probably produce a mini version of the satellite if Starship is delayed too much. Would they need to develop this mini satellite?

Robotbeat 4y ago
I would bet money there will be some availability of the service by 2023, when they said it'd be available. I know the meme is that Musk's track record is to delay, but Starlink has been regularly underestimated and has kept pace pretty successfully. Much more than industry insiders expected.
fastball 4y ago
At the event, Musk said if Starship isn't ready they'll try to launch a slightly smaller version of the Gen2 sats on Falcon 9.

Robotbeat 4y ago

The technology has already been demonstrated in a similar form by Lynk. The large gen2 satellites have already been built, and you can see the deployed fitted into the Starship prototype in Texas, which is planning an orbital flight test shortly (low single digit months is the desired plan, but don’t get too excited until the static fire tests have been completed on both the booster and the upperstage). They have several other Starships being built as we speak, you can watch them on livestreams on YouTube right now, and these will be the ones that start deploying the new satellites (the first Starship will not enter a permanent orbit as they want to ensure that if there’s a problem with Starship it doesn’t stay in orbit as debris… like Shuttle External Tanks, it’ll splash down in another ocean).