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I only counted the cost of the satellite itself. I assumed you can get it into orbit for free, so if it costs a cent more than that, it's a further argument aga
by fluoridation 3mo ago
I only counted the cost of the satellite itself. I assumed you can get it into orbit for free, so if it costs a cent more than that, it's a further argument against.
- elcritch 3mo agoStarlink is manufacturing the satellites at scale. They’re likely to cost not much differently from large ground based 5G towers at some point. The antennas are “digital” so no expensive mechanical systems needed.
- fluoridation 3mo agoEven if I grant that, radio towers don't deorbit after a few years. I have no idea what you mean by antennas being digital.
- inemesitaffia 3mo agoOlder sats (and OneWeb) use parabolic dishes. Some fixed, some steerable. Apart from being SDR's, Starlink and its newer competition use phased array antennas. So they can provide extra capacity to denser areas.