5 ms·

One web needs ground based gateways, which isn't really an option in warzones. These gateways will be immediately targeted. The only option is to used space bas

One web needs ground based gateways, which isn't really an option in warzones. These gateways will be immediately targeted. The only option is to used space based lasers for relay. Of which, spaceX is the only entity on the planet with this technology. Love or hate Elon, he's been able to turn himself into a very powerful figure on the world stage through technology alone. If you think him having complete control over Starlink is a national security risk, he's just getting started. Unfortunately with European employement laws, I don't see them being able to compete. If you tried, you’d face fines, lawsuits, and maybe even criminal penalties for making your employees work the 80+ hour weeks that Elon requires from all of his companies. Europe craves work life balance, Elon craves technological power. He's convinced some smart people their life is the company. Europe just doesn't have that culture, and it's mandated by law that you can't have that culture.

Onavo 2y ago
> Europe craves work life balance, Elon craves technological power. He's convinced some smart people their life is the company. Europe just doesn't have that culture, and it's mandated by law that you can't have that culture. The problem is cultural yes but they have plenty of low cost labor willing to work overtime and put in long hours. It's called Eastern Europe. The bigger problem is an overly bureaucratic Brussels and a lack of imagination among their leadership. Britain can probably do well in this area, maybe the French too if they get their head out of their asses. The day they stop sending their top ML companies like Huggingface and Mistral to the US for funding is the day when the Fifth Republic finally spreads realizes their potential.
- TrapLord_Rhodo 2y ago
  European oligarchs have different priorities. They invest in land, art and gold, that's how you preserve capital over generations. That's why top european companies end up taking money from venture capital in the US.
jltsiren 2y ago
I've never understood the fetishization of long working hours. If there is a job where you can meaningfully work 80+ hours a week, the same (and often better) results can be achieved with more employees working fewer hours. If the work can't be split like that, it's probably demanding enough that you can't sustain more than 20-30 productive hours a week in the long term. It's possible to mix reasonable hours of demanding work with additional hours of meetings, routine work, and procrastination. Maybe it's cheaper for the employer than managing the work better and hiring additional people for the routine parts. Maybe there are some social and organizational benefits to the employer when the employees have no life outside work. But long hours like that don't lead to superior outputs.
- TrapLord_Rhodo 2y ago
  then why does spacex have superior outputs?
  - jltsiren 2y ago
    It made choices that turned out to be good in retrospect. And it's young enough that it hasn't turned into a stagnant bureaucracy yet. Technology is not magic. If you can do something, others can do it as well, if they want. Established organizations often fail at that, because they don't want to be successful. They might want to be successful in principle, but in practice, the personal interests of the people in charge override the interests of the organization.
    - TrapLord_Rhodo 2y ago
      in 2001, Eutelsat transitioned into a private company, Eutelsat S.A., and later became Eutelsat Communications S.A., headquartered in Paris, France. In 2023, Eutelsat merged with OneWeb, a company founded in 2012, to form the Eutelsat Group. Essentially, just as old as SpaceX. So, how does one ensure a company continues to make good decisions? Have a very flat structure, and have alot of smart people work insanely long hours. If you hire twice as much people to match the 80 hour weeks, you no longer have a flat structure and >> "the personal interests of the people in charge override the interests of the organization." You are right, technology is not magic, you've just got to want it more than anyone else. SpaceX wants it, Europe would rather have their maximum of 48 hours a week. Which is actually halarious, i don't think i've worked under 48 hours a week in my entire adult life. 50 is usually expected, 60 if you want good performance reviews and 70 if you want a promotion.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
consumer451 2y ago
> spaceX is the only entity on the planet with this technology. Rocket Lab is in talks to purchase Mynaric, a German company which specializes in laser links. https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-to-expand-into-laser-communications-with-mynaric-acquisition/ https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-to-expand-into-laser-commun...
- panick21_ 1y ago
  Lots of companies have laser links and lots of people have demonstrated it. That's not new. Having a large OPERATIONAL network is what is unique and will be for years to come.
buuu 2y ago
IRIS2 is literally being shot up this year and will work with good ol' regular 5G, instead of relying on expensive specialized terminals like starlink. [0] No need to bring anti-worker propaganda into this. [0] https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/eutelsat-succeeds-worlds-first-5g-network-trial-space-with-airbus-mediatek-2025-02-24/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/eutelsat-succeeds-w...
- panick21_ 2y ago
  Starlink already has connections to phones operational and deploying more of that far, far faster then any of the competitors. And IRIS2 as far as I know isn't a direct to cell technology.

Onavo 2y ago

> Europe craves work life balance, Elon craves technological power. He's convinced some smart people their life is the company. Europe just doesn't have that culture, and it's mandated by law that you can't have that culture. The problem is cultural yes but they have plenty of low cost labor willing to work overtime and put in long hours. It's called Eastern Europe. The bigger problem is an overly bureaucratic Brussels and a lack of imagination among their leadership. Britain can probably do well in this area, maybe the French too if they get their head out of their asses. The day they stop sending their top ML companies like Huggingface and Mistral to the US for funding is the day when the Fifth Republic finally spreads realizes their potential.

TrapLord_Rhodo 2y ago
European oligarchs have different priorities. They invest in land, art and gold, that's how you preserve capital over generations. That's why top european companies end up taking money from venture capital in the US.

jltsiren 2y ago

I've never understood the fetishization of long working hours. If there is a job where you can meaningfully work 80+ hours a week, the same (and often better) results can be achieved with more employees working fewer hours. If the work can't be split like that, it's probably demanding enough that you can't sustain more than 20-30 productive hours a week in the long term. It's possible to mix reasonable hours of demanding work with additional hours of meetings, routine work, and procrastination. Maybe it's cheaper for the employer than managing the work better and hiring additional people for the routine parts. Maybe there are some social and organizational benefits to the employer when the employees have no life outside work. But long hours like that don't lead to superior outputs.

TrapLord_Rhodo 2y ago
then why does spacex have superior outputs?
- jltsiren 2y ago
  It made choices that turned out to be good in retrospect. And it's young enough that it hasn't turned into a stagnant bureaucracy yet. Technology is not magic. If you can do something, others can do it as well, if they want. Established organizations often fail at that, because they don't want to be successful. They might want to be successful in principle, but in practice, the personal interests of the people in charge override the interests of the organization.
  - TrapLord_Rhodo 2y ago
    in 2001, Eutelsat transitioned into a private company, Eutelsat S.A., and later became Eutelsat Communications S.A., headquartered in Paris, France. In 2023, Eutelsat merged with OneWeb, a company founded in 2012, to form the Eutelsat Group. Essentially, just as old as SpaceX. So, how does one ensure a company continues to make good decisions? Have a very flat structure, and have alot of smart people work insanely long hours. If you hire twice as much people to match the 80 hour weeks, you no longer have a flat structure and >> "the personal interests of the people in charge override the interests of the organization." You are right, technology is not magic, you've just got to want it more than anyone else. SpaceX wants it, Europe would rather have their maximum of 48 hours a week. Which is actually halarious, i don't think i've worked under 48 hours a week in my entire adult life. 50 is usually expected, 60 if you want good performance reviews and 70 if you want a promotion.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

consumer451 2y ago

> spaceX is the only entity on the planet with this technology. Rocket Lab is in talks to purchase Mynaric, a German company which specializes in laser links. https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-to-expand-into-laser-communications-with-mynaric-acquisition/ https://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-to-expand-into-laser-commun...

panick21_ 1y ago
Lots of companies have laser links and lots of people have demonstrated it. That's not new. Having a large OPERATIONAL network is what is unique and will be for years to come.

buuu 2y ago

IRIS2 is literally being shot up this year and will work with good ol' regular 5G, instead of relying on expensive specialized terminals like starlink. [0] No need to bring anti-worker propaganda into this. [0] https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/eutelsat-succeeds-worlds-first-5g-network-trial-space-with-airbus-mediatek-2025-02-24/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/eutelsat-succeeds-w...

panick21_ 2y ago
Starlink already has connections to phones operational and deploying more of that far, far faster then any of the competitors. And IRIS2 as far as I know isn't a direct to cell technology.