SpaceX Internet Satellite Network: Starlink

[dhanson865]

First 2.0minis reach orbit, video of the deploy or I'd just screenshot the tweet.

Man that one surface is like a mirror, I assume that is solar panels.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630394434847227909

 

[ecarfan]

Wow! That is so cool. I watched that about 10 times. I wonder how many more times we will see that type of deployment.

 

[bxr140]

Man that one surface is like a mirror, I assume that is solar panels.

The solar panels are visible at the beginning of the deployment clip. They're on the backside/zenith side of the satellite (that happens to be the top side of the sat during launch) and you can make out a quasi-typical grid of solar cells on them. They're separated by a massive structural backbone, in which the propulsion tank is located. You can actually see the end of the tank (and a fitting) in one of the shots of the stack in the processing facility. The other shot is the other side of the stack--that's the one with the thrusters running up the middle of the stack (they're under the red caps***).

***Not to be confused with the ISL RFB flags/caps (there's three per sat).

The highly reflective surface you see on the "bottom" of the sats toward the end of the deployment clip is the brightness mitigation film stretched across the user arrays. That surface of the sat will always point toward earth...or at least when the satellite is providing service.

 

[dhanson865]

A user on reddit made a size comparison of the more common dish types (maritime and aviation aren't in the image for example)

main reason for the comparison was to compare the new coming dishes to the old residential dishes.

 

[cdub]

I'm thinking of getting Starlink for when we go to our cabin in the lake county of WI. It's not officially available in that area yet so was thinking of getting Starlink RV.

Questions....

1. We have trees. I'll have to run a long Ethernet cable and power to get the dish to a clear line of sight. Is this easy to do? I remember original Starlink's Ethernet cable was hardwired. Hopefully this still isn't the case
2. How long have others run cable to get to a spot with a clear line of site
3. Any other tips for a wooded area? There are areas by the water with a clear line of site.
4. What's everyone's experience with Starlink RV? Easy to stop and start?

 

[cdub]

Actually found some good info in their app. They must have updated a ton of info since last time I checked.

Anyone else have Starlink RV?

 

[dhanson865]

Most recent launch was more v1.6 sats, but they discussed during the launch broadcast that all 21 of the v2 sats reached orbit, responded to all commands and passed the self checks, expanded their solar arrays, and such.

So maybe they have a supply of v1.6 sats to work through before they start pushing nothing but v2 sats out.

 

[bxr140]

So maybe they have a supply of v1.6 sats to work through before they start pushing nothing but v2 sats out.

Significantly lower demand in the polar regions (which the last launch was) lends itself to the lower spec satellites. The 1.X's are also MUCH lighter so each rocket can deploy significantly more satellites (V2 minis would probably only be 18-19 sats per polar launch), which reduces the total number of launches SX needs to fill out and maintain the polar sub constellation, as well as the corollary, which is that it takes less time to fill out the polar constellation.

 

[dhanson865]

The solar panels are visible at the beginning of the deployment clip. They're on the backside/zenith side of the satellite (that happens to be the top side of the sat during launch) and you can make out a quasi-typical grid of solar cells on them. They're separated by a massive structural backbone, in which the propulsion tank is located. You can actually see the end of the tank (and a fitting) in one of the shots of the stack in the processing facility. The other shot is the other side of the stack--that's the one with the thrusters running up the middle of the stack (they're under the red caps***).

***Not to be confused with the ISL RFB flags/caps (there's three per sat).

The highly reflective surface you see on the "bottom" of the sats toward the end of the deployment clip is the brightness mitigation film stretched across the user arrays. That surface of the sat will always point toward earth...or at least when the satellite is providing service.

On V2 sats there are solar panels on both sides, not just one side like the old V1.x sats.

actual pic of a V2-mini sat with solar deployed, tweet by HEO Robotics

"Our space-based sensors captured a newly launched Starlink V2 Mini satellite 7 days after deployment. "

compared to a drawing of a v1.x sat

 

[bxr140]

On V2 sats there are solar panels on both sides, not just one side like the old V1.x sats.

Both wings are stowed on the same side (the backside) of the satellite.

 

[mongo]

Great thread:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1635301736331227137

 

[mongo]

Great thread:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1635301736331227137

Next panel up at #SATShow is about sat-to-cell, with: ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen
Iridium CEO Matt Desch
SpaceX VP of Starlink enterprise sales
Jonathan Hofeller Lynk
Global CEO Charles Miller

SpaceX stuff pulled out:
Hofeller: SpaceX has a two-fold approach: 1 - Complementing terrestrial towers with cell backhaul 2 - Go beyond complementing to provide high-speed low-latency service, and a LEO constellation as "best equipped to do that."

Moderator: Starlink has 2,500 satellites in orbit? or 3,000?
*Hofeller holds up 4 fingers*
Desch: "Just say a gazillion"

Moderator: Is there enough launch capacity?
Hofeller: When we were launching Iridium it was once a month, it was unheard of. Now at twice a week, "and it's not crazy to think that the boss will push for more."

Hofeller: "We're definitely wrong, we just don't know how wrong we are" about the opportunity. "We're going to learn a lot by doing -- not necessarily by overanalyzing -- and getting out there, working with the telcos."

Hofeller: SpaceX plans to "start getting into testing" its Starlink satellite-to-cell service "this year."

 

[ecarfan]

New video from Scott Manley about electric ion thrusters; he was motivated to make it because of Starlink switching to Argon to power its Hall Effect Thrusters. Starlink was using Xenon, but Argon is a tiny fraction of the cost.

 

[bxr140]

V2 mini's are coming down. Speculation is the the wheels are undersized. Hard for me to reconcile that's the actual problem, but maybe SX maths put the momentum budget on the limit and they decided to roll the dice on pathfinder sats [that presumably were never intended to provide service]?

Anyway, if it's really the problem SX will probably just make a bigger housing with a bigger flywheel and just re-use the [proven] motor and electronics.

 

[HVM]

Here's up to date graph from other thread:

 

[bxr140]

Starlink was using Xenon, but Argon is a tiny fraction of the cost.

V1's use Krypton, not Xenon.

Kr where most of the constellation industry is right now. It is a bit less efficient but ~6x cheaper than Xe and has better lead times (mostly because it's easier to refine). Big GEOs are still largely Xe because the performance generally matters more than the [proportionally lower] higher cost of the propellant.

The other thing with Xe is that almost half of the world's supply is (or at least, was) produced in the Ukraine...so...that's been a bit of a kerfuffle as of late.

There's not an awesome #3 option out there, but Iodine and Argon are the leaders. Argon is lower performing than Xe and Kr (its higher up on the periodic table), but it's cheap and if you have the satellite volume for the tank, the ability to lift the mass, and a short life requirement (like SX/Starlink), its a pretty good deal. Iodine is reactive and so requires a bit more engineering and operational diligence than the noble gasses, but it has good performance/life and can be stored as a solid so its got some serious potential upside to it.

 

[scaesare]

Here's up to date graph from other thread:View attachment 918513

So I asked about this in the other thread... the 2 seem to have reversed.. any more thought as to what's going on?

 

[mongo]

They are testing V2 before raising them through or above the ISS altitude. Some are being deorbited.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1638616130356133888

 

[dhanson865]

Haiti is live now.

 

[ecarfan]

Haiti is live now.

That seems like a very minor potential market.