Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: satellites – Page 82

Mushrooms could solve a huge problem in outer space

Circa 2021

Mycelium is very light in weight, it naturally floats on water, it can withstand the cold of space where we don’t have to worry about cold welding, and we can add in fine strains of metal material which is used to transmit almost any type of signal. As you can see, there are numerous reasons why mycelium is quite suitable for our satellites in space, on land, and in the air on its way to space.

Of course, there’s also the all-important issue of space debris, which is projected to become a severe hazard to satellites and spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in the coming years.

According to the SDO, more than 560 break-ups, explosions, collisions, or anomalous events that resulted in fragmentation have taken place since the launch of the first artificial satellite in 1957 (Sputnik 1). With the proliferation of small satellites and the mega-constellations that are (or soon will be) deployed, the risk of collision rises considerably.

SpaceX’s first Starlink V2 satellites spotted at Starbase

On Monday, SpaceX was spotted loading some of the first Starlink V2 satellite prototypes into a custom mechanism designed to refill Starship’s magazine-like payload bay.

While it’s not the first time SpaceX has used the dispenser, the photos captured by photographer Kevin Randolph are the first to clearly show real prototypes of the next generation of Starlink satellites. According to CEO Elon Musk, those Starlink Gen2 or V2 satellites will be “at least 5 times better”, “an order of magnitude more capable,” and about four times heavier than current (V1.5) Starlink satellites.

The potential of the new satellite bus design paired with Starship’s massive fairing and lift capacity could dramatically improve the viability and cost-effectiveness of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. First, though, the company needs to launch and qualify prototypes of the new satellite design and verify that all associated ground support equipment works as expected.

China’s space agency could send a mission to Neptune — major discoveries await

Ice giants like Neptune are a potential treasure trove of scientific discoveries.

There’s also Triton’s cryovolcanic activity, resulting from tidal flexing in its interior caused by Neptune’s gravitational pull. However, this activity increases when Triton is closest to the Sun (perihelion), resulting in greater eruptions from the interior. This will leave higher concentrations of nitrogen and other gases in the moon’s tenuous atmosphere, which could be studied to learn more about its interior composition and structure. As for the rings, the team noted several objectives there:

“Establish a complete list of planetary rings and their inner Shepherd satellites, study the characteristics, formation mechanism, material exchange, and gas transport of planetary rings of different orbital types, analyze the origin of different celestial bodies, and detect possible organic matter… The multiple planetary rings of Neptune are not uniformly distributed in longitude. Instead, it presents an arc-block-like discrete structure. Why these arc-block structures can exist, and whether they exist stably without spreading out, are all interesting dynamical problems.”

China’s space agency has made some rather impressive moves in recent years that illustrate how the nation has become a major power in space. These include the development of heavy launch rockets like the Long March 9, the deployment of space stations (the Tiangong program), and their success with the Chang’e and Tianwen programs that have sent robotic explorers to the Moon and Mars.

Internet on the go: FCC greenlights Starlink service on moving cars, boats, and planes

If you’re ready for connectivity on the move, SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband may soon be the answer. The US Federal Communications Commission on Thursday gave the internet provider the greenlight to provide service on moving vehicles, boats, and planes.

The new authority should help SpaceX meet “the growing user demands that now require connectivity while on the move,” wrote FCC International Bureau Chief Tom Sullivan in the approval, “whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight.”

Russia may be building a giant laser-based anti-satellite weapon

Will it succeed?An open-source investigation suggests that Russia is building a giant laser-based anti-satellite weapon near Zelenchukskaya in the southwest part of the country, Space.com reported. This will allow it a soft-kill option to take down adversarial satellites.

Instead of temporarily blurring sensors, Russia is going full throttle, looking to destroy optical sensors on satellites.

SpaceX prices fast Starlink satellite Internet for ships, yachts, and oil rigs at US$5,000 with the highest download speeds

Barely did the ink under the FCC approval signature dry, and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite Internet announced a new pricey Maritime service for commercial ships, oil rigs, or premium yachts. Nothing is stopping people with recreational boats to get Starlink Maritime, too, save for the monthly tag and equipment fees.

/* */