A stack of 60 Starlink satellites in space after launch. SpaceX
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos became “centibillions” because of their successful business ventures of the most unrelated industries on earth. But now, they can quietly sift through their respective giant Internet-beaming satellite constellations known as Starlink and Kuiper, to each other’s sphere of space outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Earlier this year, SpaceX filed a change request with the FCC, asking the federal agency to allow Starlink to change the range of satellite parameters. Even after Amazon-owned Kuiper Systems raised concerns over the FCC, the app stalled, arguing that the changes requested by SpaceX would cause the orbit of Starlink satellites and its own satellites to overlap, operating at the same altitude.
In particular, SpaceX proposed to reduce the altitude of the future cluster of Starlink satellites from 1,110-1,325 kilometers, its previous range, to 540-570 kilometers. The company argued that deploying satellites at this relatively low itude altitude would help reduce broadband signal delays and make it easier for any future space debris to de-orbit itself into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The problem is that it is close to where Kuiper wants to deploy satellites. Kuper’s lowest orbital shell is 590 km, 9 km above or below it. There is tolerance. And the upper end of SpaceX’s modified orbital shell 530 km. Is, 30 km. With endurance. That means While the Kuiper constellation is fully deployed (the 590 km cluster is the last group that Kuiper will deploy), Starlink and Kuiper satellites probably share a 20 km orbital shell.
SpaceX has given a big discount this week. In a letter to the FCC on Tuesday, written by David Goldman, head of satellite policy at SpaceX, the company gave control of all Starlink satellites to operate at speeds of more than 580 kilometers, just 1 kilometer below Kuiper’s lowest altitude range since launching Kuiper. .
“As a result of discussions with Amazon, SpaceX is now committed to accepting the proposed condition of resolving its suspicions,” the letter said. “With the settlement of this issue, SpaceX requests that the Commission approve its correction expeditiously.”
In particular, SpaceX requested the FCC to authorize the deployment of a cluster of 58 Starlink satellites above the Arctic Circle, as indicated in the original application, as the company does not want to miss the launch window in December.
SpaceX stressed that the deployment of this polar shell is an important step in testing the Starlink service in some remote areas of the world, including Alaska. The company added that bringing coverage through polar orbit would contribute to national security by supporting a critical government mission in areas where access to satellite internet is the only option.
But Cooper has other concerns with SpaceX’s plans. In its change request, SpaceX also proposed a reduction Minimum elevation angle of Starlink ground stations from 40 ના to 25 from Compensation for reduced satellite coverage due to alt altitude changes (lower satellites cover less ground when transmitting the signal).
Kuiper argued that lower elevation angles, combined with a decrease in alt altitude, would increase the incidence of in-line interference between the two constellations by 250 percent. It will take some time for Kuiper to verify these estimates, however, he has not yet deployed any satellites.
Amazon subsidiary plans to eventually launch 3,200 satellites to form the constellation. The company received FCC approval for deployment in July.
