SpaceX to launch 60 Satellites in one go
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Limejuice
Well-Known Member
The launch window is a bit 'overnight' for UK-based viewers, which is a shame.
If they're planning on 12,000 satellites (as per the article linked^^^) in low Earth orbit, they're going to need 200 launches at that rate. That's pretty busy.
It'll also mean a fair number of objects whizzing around. I hope they all end up orbiting where they're supposed to.
If they're planning on 12,000 satellites (as per the article linked^^^) in low Earth orbit, they're going to need 200 launches at that rate. That's pretty busy.
It'll also mean a fair number of objects whizzing around. I hope they all end up orbiting where they're supposed to.
editor
hiraethified
TheHoodedClaw
acknowledging ur soup leg
And from tonight
If there really are going to be 12,000 of these, and they are going to be so bright, then there'll be more of them than there are naked-eye-visible stars
If there really are going to be 12,000 of these, and they are going to be so bright, then there'll be more of them than there are naked-eye-visible stars
TheHoodedClaw
acknowledging ur soup leg
Santa's sleigh...
2hats
Dust.
12000 at mag +3 to +1. I'm not sure someone has entirely thought through the consequences of this.
TheHoodedClaw
acknowledging ur soup leg
They are slowly moving into separate orbits roughly 100km higher than currently. They'll all still be relatively bright though (how bright at any given moment depends on quite a lot of local factors). But in any case 12,000 is a lot of bright objects up there
2hats
Dust.
They will spread out. The first 550km high (inner) shell of the project will be 40 24 planes of 66 satellites each. Others to follow at 1150 and 350 km.
Though these ones are an engineering test set, part of which will be deorbiting them.
(edit: corrected source - 24 not 40 orbital planes, which tallies with proposed shell totals)
Though these ones are an engineering test set, part of which will be deorbiting them.
(edit: corrected source - 24 not 40 orbital planes, which tallies with proposed shell totals)
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TheHoodedClaw
acknowledging ur soup leg
Are these all being deorbited?
2hats
Dust.
Yes, so I understand. This is a full verification test of the support infrastructure and simulation of the lifecycle of the constellation.
newbie
undisambiguated
So- and I'm sorry for the questions , this is all news to me and I'm trying to understand- as this lot get deployed they will essentially be visible from everywhere on earth? We'll shortly see our last traditional night sky?
Has anyone, anywhere been asked about this or does being rich override such niceties?
Will they apparently move, like the ISS, or seem to be still like the old fashioned stars?
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
They're flying so low, they'll only be visible just after sunset or just before sunrise. The rest of the night, they'll be well in the earth's shadow.as this lot get deployed they will essentially be visible from everywhere on earth? We'll shortly see our last traditional night sky?
newbie
undisambiguated
Thankyou. That's not negligable, but it's not what I feared.
2hats
Dust.
These test articles slightly are currently higher than the ISS but the operational orbit is higher still. It looks like they'll be visible a lot of the time during summer nights and a few hours on late spring and early autumn nights. Once operational, of the two other shells, one will be lower and the other much higher (though those ones will of course tend to appear dimmer as a result). With 12000 of those on orbit, plus another 3200+ from Bezo's Project Kuiper, it could end up being hard to look anywhere in a moderately dark sky and not see a number of them scooting through your field of vision.
(visualisation of the full Starlink three shell constellation as per most recent filed plans)
Note that 12000, let alone 15000, far exceeds the number of satellites (not satellites plus debris) orbiting the Earth (about 5000) and also far exceeds the number of stars visible to the naked eye (also about 5000 on any given night for the darker locations; only a few hundred for those dwelling in urbanised areas).
ska invita
back on the other side
What are the 100,000 megaconstelation satellites going to be doing?
Having a space party.
Steel Icarus
we move
Thank god for these billionaire visionaries
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
Internet, anywhere. Antenna the size of a pizza gets you fibre-equivalent speed and lower latency, even in the middle of the ocean.
2hats
Dust.
Seems unlikely with the current cloud cover* but next passes for London start at 2227BST and 0003BST tonight. Look for them climbing out of the SW and heading to the NE (first pass is lower through the southern portion of the sky - appearing south of Spica then moving in the direction of Altair, second pass should be directly overhead, more or less - appearing below Leo, passing through the zenith and heading out through Cygnus). There are further passes starting at 0140BST and 0317BST.
* Actually only the GFS has a gloomy take on this. ECM and Met Office short range, high resolution models suggest the cloud will break up as the evening progresses so there might be a chance (and this does seem to tally with recent EUMETSAT imagery).
* Actually only the GFS has a gloomy take on this. ECM and Met Office short range, high resolution models suggest the cloud will break up as the evening progresses so there might be a chance (and this does seem to tally with recent EUMETSAT imagery).
2hats
Dust.
Also (potentially) substantial reductions in RTT on eg London-New York, London-Singapore
ska invita
back on the other side
Hard to argue with that...5,000 to near 100,000 sounds like a serious escalation though
ferrelhadley
There is no love between us anymore.
For twenty years we have had Iridium flares, these will be a lot more frequent but significantly less obvious.
They seem to have a pretty clear deorbit plan and a low enough orbit that they will degrade.
The risk of collision is going to be significant. But they do claim automated collision avoidance.
The FSB have been getting arsey about OneWeb, a much smaller constellation of similar function. I suspect these constellations will be sources of diplomatic friction in the coming years.
They seem to have a pretty clear deorbit plan and a low enough orbit that they will degrade.
The risk of collision is going to be significant. But they do claim automated collision avoidance.
The FSB have been getting arsey about OneWeb, a much smaller constellation of similar function. I suspect these constellations will be sources of diplomatic friction in the coming years.
