Starlink IPO

[Krugerrand]

Yeah, I'm sure they are, but there are a lot more satellites or groups of satellites planned for launch and in the next few years the amount of objects in orbit will grow substantially and many, if not most, will not be built to SpaceX standards... those are the ones I'm concerned about. It's just a matter of time before there is an accident in space and I for one want to know how they're planning for it.

I'm still buying stock though...

Mounted Not-a-satellite-destroyer-flamethrowers.

 

[sparcs]

Yep. When SpaceX and Starlink are two different companies with different owners, could SpaceX sell launch services to Starlink with different prices than to Starlink’s competitors?

And also, if owner A owns SpaceX and owner B owns Starlink, why would owner A want to subside owners B businesses even if he could.

OneWeb has some similarities. Airbus is a OneWeb investor. OneWeb and Airbus jointly own OneWeb Satellites. And of course OneWeb is conveniently using Airbus for some of their launches.

 

[sparcs]

Successful Soyuz launch deploys 34 satellites for OneWeb network – Spaceflight Now

Some interesting quotes in the latter half of this article from the CEO of OneWeb about Starlink:

“Our satellites are at 1,200 kilometers, there’s are at 550,” Steckel said in a pre-launch media briefing in Kazakhstan. “That’s just geometry. Our satellites have a bigger field-of-view. Their system doesn’t give them global coverage, even though they have a lot more satellites, because they’re lower and they do not have inter-satellite links (yet).

“And because ours are higher and we have big ground stations, we’re able to sort of reach over the horizon and guarantee that coverage of the oceans and have global coverage,” Steckel said. “We have (regulatory) filings for thousands of satellites… and they have for tens of thousands of satellites.”

Like OneWeb, SpaceX says it could start serving high-latitude regions the Starlink broadband coverage this year, followed by the inauguration of global service.

"We’re going to be competitive,” Steckel said. “We have a different approach. We’re going to get landing rights (and market access) in places that Starlink won’t. We think there’s 40 percent of the land mass in the world where they won’t and we will. That has to do with our architecture. It also has to do with our approach to doing business. It also has to do with our flag. We’re a UK company. That gives us the ability to try to build a bridge … We have shareholders and support from institutions all around the world.

“We’re also attacking a different part of the marketplace,” he continued. “We’re not going to try to compete against the Comcasts or the Oranges of the world. Over time, what you’ll find is our technologies and their technologies are pretty much the same thing. But the fact that you’re using the same technology doesn’t mean you’re executing the same business model. It’s the difference between being a consumer play or an enterprise play.”

According to Steckel, OneWeb’s network will be more attractive to countries like China and Russia. He said OneWeb’s satellites will relay broadband signals through powerful ground stations, or gateways. The company intends to develop or use around 40 to 45 gateways distributed around the globe.

“SpaceX has gone out of their way to emphasize that they were going to have inter-satellite links, and that they will have inter-satellite links,” Steckel said. “That is fundamental to the structure of their system, and that is not something that’s acceptable to governments who want to make sure that they have the ability to exercise sovereignty over the Internet.”

“It’s a different business plan,” he said. “Nothing in what I’m saying is a criticism of them. They could be highly successful. We’re playing a different ball game, but we’re both using similar technology.”

Steckel acknowledged that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, which fly on Falcon 9 rockets with reused first stage boosters, have a lower launch cost than OneWeb.

“Of course, they have a launch cost that is far below mine,” Steckel said.

 

[bkp_duke]

That does make a very good point. You can bet that totalitarian countries will under no circumstances allow their citizens access to something like this. I would bet that Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc. will outlaw purchase of Starlink services because the uncensored internet is an existential threat to them.

 

[traxila]

That does make a very good point. You can bet that totalitarian countries will under no circumstances allow their citizens access to something like this. I would bet that Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc. will outlaw purchase of Starlink services because the uncensored internet is an existential threat to them.

The uncensored internet seems to be an existential threat to all of us lately.

 

[mongo]

I’m not disagreeing with your points. I just say, that after split up, Starlink is just a customer to SpaceX. What do you want from a customer? Money.

Sure, and, if there are a shareholder, SpaceX can make lots of money off continual Starlink profits vs only on launches (although there will be lots of those).
Wouldn't make sense to fully divest from the future revenue stream in order to create that stream.

 

[richman0841]

SpaceX considering spinning off and IPO'ing their Starlink business.

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

I haven't read all the comments, but my question would be Why are people short-selling Tesla when Elon has all the other successful businesses as a backup in case extra capital is needed?

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

SpaceX considers Starlink spinoff as teams ready for mid-February launch – Spaceflight Now

Maybe they are trying to get the first phase of the satellite network up and running to show off to investors.

As I said earlier, they've already achieved the first phase of putting 100+ satellites into the desired orbits, and proved they can do that repeatedly.

SpaceX appear to need a large capital injection to get to the next phase of several thousand satellites into orbit and for creating the ISP business to sell the capacity. They could finance that by IPO'ing immediately, but since they said their plan is to IPO in a few years, we can deduce SpaceX will finance this next phase with private investment.

 

[Beyond]

Dave Lee has an interesting discussion today on a possible Starlink IPO:

The first 12 minutes or so are specifically about Starlink. Personally I can't wait to ditch the exceedingly slow CenturyLink DSL that is the only "broadband" available in our area.

 

[winfield100]

As I said earlier, they've already achieved the first phase of putting 100+ satellites into the desired orbits, and proved they can do that repeatedly.

SpaceX appear to need a large capital injection to get to the next phase of several thousand satellites into orbit and for creating the ISP business to sell the capacity. They could finance that by IPO'ing immediately, but since they said their plan is to IPO in a few years, we can deduce SpaceX will finance this next phase with private investment.

@M3BlueGeorgia
Follow

NextSpaceflight.com
and note 3 more launches feb March for total of 7
7x60. =420 satellites by mid March!
Something about that number....

 

[sparcs]

As I said earlier, they've already achieved the first phase of putting 100+ satellites into the desired orbits, and proved they can do that repeatedly.

SpaceX appear to need a large capital injection to get to the next phase of several thousand satellites into orbit and for creating the ISP business to sell the capacity. They could finance that by IPO'ing immediately, but since they said their plan is to IPO in a few years, we can deduce SpaceX will finance this next phase with private investment.

They have only demonstrated that they can launch satellites. What i meant by first phase is actually showing off operations and then IPO'ing since that article indicated they might IPO "in the next several years". Might boost the valuation a lot if investors can tangibly see the product in action.

 

[bkp_duke]

They have only demonstrated that they can launch satellites. What i meant by first phase is actually showing off operations and then IPO'ing. Might boost the valuation a lot if investors can tangibly see the product in action.

I agree. I would like to see a "beta" deployment or something where actual end users have the equipment in hand and can comment on the connectivity, reliability, speed, size of equipment, congestion when many users are connected to the satellites, etc. Right now, all of that is just a black box.

 

[Beyond]

It'll take a while before the IPO actually happens. Initial users are due to be online mid 2020 in the northern US and Canada. I'm in Minnesota. Hope that we'll have early availability. Internet speeds are generally poor here except in the Twin Cities. Since I build PCs I get asked to set up internet for people too and in so many places there are few options. Often only current satellite (which is abominable) or CenturyLink DSL (which some people refer to as CenturyStink due to it's slow speed).

 

[Zeronet]

If there is going to be an IPO - please sign me up!

Up until a couple of weeks ago I had believed that Elon Musk was only working his ass off at the Tesla factory because he wanted to electrify the world transportation network. He would later make his big money off of the global internet subscriptions - big enough to fund his Mars settlement. But now it seems he is going to make big money off of Tesla before that. Big as in, Bezos big.

Maybe I am influenced by living away from cell signals. My only connection to the world (phone, internet, and cable TV) is through the ever-escalating price from the monopoly (Public?) cable pirates. 5G is not going to help me. To add a global competitor to the private-monopoly cable pirates will cause a revolution. Maybe not the size of the EV diminution of much of the Petroleum Exploration, Refining, and gasoline distribution industries, but almost as big.

Oh, there will be competitors? I heard the same thing before I test drove my Tesla. But since I test drove the Chevy Bolt, I have ignored them.

 

[e-FTW]

Successful Soyuz launch deploys 34 satellites for OneWeb network – Spaceflight Now

Some interesting quotes in the latter half of this article from the CEO of OneWeb about Starlink:

So OneWeb's ace in the hole is their compliance with totalitarian regimes that require control of the Internet. I know where I would rather invest, personally.
That flag-waving bit is pretty funny-awkward in that context.

 

[Beyond]

So OneWeb's ace in the hole is their compliance with totalitarian regimes that require control of the Internet. I know where I would rather invest, personally.
That flag-waving bit is pretty funny-awkward in that context.

I agree, that OneWeb business model is a little distasteful. A bit like investing in tobacco companies.

 

[EVCollies]

That does make a very good point. You can bet that totalitarian countries will under no circumstances allow their citizens access to something like this. I would bet that Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc. will outlaw purchase of Starlink services because the uncensored internet is an existential threat to them.

I wonder if Starlink can offer a "stealth mode" pizza box.

 

[Cosmacelf]

I wonder if Starlink can offer a "stealth mode" pizza box.

Considering that these countries have satellite killer technology, that would not be wise.

 

[bkp_duke]

Considering that these countries have satellite killer technology, that would not be wise.

At the rate Elon launches satellites, they may run out of missiles

 

[kaffine]

Considering that these countries have satellite killer technology, that would not be wise.

Well since the ground equipment will likely be made in China the easiest way to do it would be for them to install something while they are making it. Could be a lockout based on GPS or just a setup that will forward the traffic to China servers so they can monitor it. It wouldn't be the first time a government had things added to equipment.