Lifeboat Foundation

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has landed a new client in Maersk, as the two companies came to terms on a deal that would provide the company’s Ocean fleet with internet access.

Maersk announced this morning that more than 330 own-operated container vessels will now have Starlink installed, enabling the fleet to access high-speed internet with speeds at over 200 Mbps.

The logistics company said the deal with SpaceX’s Starlink service “is a leap forward in terms of internet speed and latency, which will bring significant benefits in terms of both crew welfare and business impact.”

SpaceX’s Starlink will be available on most aircraft soon, said Elon Musk. The technology will be available for use by any operator if it is ordered.

Some operators provide an internet connection during airplane flights. However, if you try to use it, you will most likely encounter a problem. The problem with most in-flight internet offerings is speed and connectivity. Airplanes connected to the antenna receive signals from communications towers on the ground as they fly overhead. This limits the availability of internet: it becomes unstable, difficult to connect to, and the actual speed reaches no more than about 10 Mbps. That is why satellite internet can offer a number of benefits, and SpaceX’s Starlink will soon do just that.

Currently, Starlink has a constellation of about 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit and plans to increase this to 42,000 in the future. This is significantly more than all other companies combined. For example, Viasat, which provides in-flight internet service to JetBlue, United Airlines, and American Airlines, operates a fleet of four satellites, according to The Street.

SpaceX is set to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida on Monday night (Oct. 9).

The Starlink spacecraft are scheduled to lift off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Monday at 8:42 p.m. EDT (0042 GMT on Oct. 10). Four backup opportunities are available as well, from 9:32 p.m. EDT until 12:10 a.m. EDT (0132 to 410 GMT on Oct. 10).

A fine handed to the US TV firm Dish by the FCC could help kick-start the market for solutions to space debris.

We’ve just taken a major step toward cleaning up space junk. On Monday, October 2, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US issued its first fine for space debris, ordering the US TV provider Dish to pay $150,000 for failing to move one of its satellites into a safe orbit.

“It is definitely a very big symbolic moment for debris mitigation,” says Michelle Hanlon, a space lawyer at the University of Mississippi. “It’s a great step in the right direction.”

The ultimate goal is to place 3,200 satellites into low Earth orbit.

Jeff Bezos is moving one step closer to entering the broadband satellite market with its venture, Project Kuiper. Amazon-led Project Kuiper aims to place a swarm of thousands of small satellites or constellations into low Earth orbit (LEO).

The primary objective of this project is to extend internet access to regions currently lacking reliable connectivity, particularly rural and remote areas where the installation of internet infrastructure is either costly or logistically challenging.

Continue reading “Amazon’s Project Kuiper test mission to launch on Oct 6” »

Starlink/ X

Space-based internet services took a giant leap when SpaceX launched Starlink’s first satellites just over three years ago. The service has grown rapidly thanks to SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rockets and an increasing number of users looking to connect to the internet while being located remotely.

Google Maps can now calculate rooftops’ solar potential, track air quality, and forecast pollen counts.

The platform recently launched a range of services like Solar API, which calculates weather patterns and pulls data from aerial imagery to help understand rooftops’ solar potential. The tool aims to help accelerate solar panel deployment by improving accuracy and reducing the number of site visits needed.

As seasonal allergies get worse every year, Pollen API shows updated information on the most common allergens in 65 countries by using a mix of machine learning and wind patterns. Similarly, Air Quality API provides detailed information on local air quality by utilizing data from multiple sources, like government monitoring stations, satellites, live traffic, and more, and can show areas affected by wildfires too.

A battery built for satellites brings grid-scale storage down to Earth.

Starlink is upgrading its satellite constellation to rev up its internet service. The company launched 8,000 upgraded space lasers capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 100 Gbps.

On September 26, Starlink posted a look at the improved V2 Mini satellites, which will enhance the constellation’s speed, reliability, and reach.

“Our next generation Starlink optical space lasers (pew pew!) were launched to orbit on Monday,” Starlink tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).