Amazon, in a formal letter to the FCC last week, has objected to SpaceX enhanced plan for almost 30,000 new Starlink satellites and their adjusted orbits. SpaceX, in two submissions, said it could offer a better service by adjusting the existing planned orbits. Amazon, which is developing its own low Earth orbiting system, Project Kuiper/Kuiper […]
A report from Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, states that 1740 of SpaceX’s broadband satellites have been launched. However, 98 have already re-entered the atmosphere and he says another 50 “are on their way down”. This still means there are some 1600 working satellites in orbit. McDowell talks specifically about […]
SpaceX has delivered more than 100,000 of its Starlink broadband-by-satellite terminals to users. It still has a way to go to satisfy consumer demand insofar as it has a waiting list of more than 500,000 would-be consumers for its Starlink system which comprises its ‘Dishy McFlatface’ antenna, modem and WiFi router, power cables and a […]
Space is an increasingly crowded place and in the first 6 months of the year (to May 31st) SpaceX says it has had to carry out 2219 collision avoidance manoeuvres for its orbiting Starlink fleet. This aerial ballet of ever-moving satellites comes from data supplied by the US Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron. As […]
SpaceX has submitted orbital modifications to its ‘next generation’ Starlink satellites to the FCC. If approved, the new Generation 2 Starlink craft will be able to offer higher-density services to rural areas. SpaceX has proposed two variants to the FCC and will await the Commission’s verdict/approval before proceeding with a modification to its existing satellite […]
SpaceX founder Elon Musk, speaking on August 15th, said that its massive Starship rocket should be ready for flight within the next few weeks. The major challenge, despite the obvious technical and engineering work in hand, comes from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and gaining its permission to actually launch the rocket. The complete Starship […]
Swarm Technologies makes tiny cube-satellites. SpaceX has filed a request with the FCC to transfer all of Swarm satellite licences to SpaceX. The FCC application states that Swarm is being sold to SpaceX. Swarm is focused on providing connectivity for Internet of Things products and applications. Swarm has some 150 of its cube-satellites into orbit. […]
Reports suggest that SpaceX will resume launching its Starlink low Earth orbiting satellites in August. It last launched a batch of its own satellites at the end of May. Two launches will take place; one from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and one from SpaceX’s own launch facility in Florida. The Vandenberg launch […]
SES has announced a contract with NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) for 9 transponders on its SES-8 satellite. SES-8 was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December 2013 to the 95 degrees East orbital slot. It has 33 Ku-band transponders so this nine transponder deal represents more than 25 percent of the satellite’s overall […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has told SpaceX – and a few other would-be beneficiaries of its rural broadband largesse – that the cash it is prepared to award cannot be used to serve “parking lots and well-served urban areas”. Michael Janson, the FCC’s Rural Broadband Task Force director, has written directly to SpaceX as […]