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Project Kuiper: Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink passes 'crucial' test

https://www.space.com/project-kuiper-passes-crucial-test

Amazon's Project Kuiper, which uses optical inter-satellite link (OISL) technology to connect more than 3,000 satellites in a mesh network that blankets Earth, just cleared a final hurdle needed to launch next year.

Project Kuiper: Amazon's answer to SpaceX's Starlink passes 'crucial' test::Amazon's Project Kuiper, which uses optical inter-satellite link (OISL) technology to connect more than 3,000 satellites in a mesh network that blankets Earth, just cleared a final hurdle needed to launch next year.

19 comments

AlexWIWA

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More space trash because the US gave up on running fiber.

SinningStromgald

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Why give poor people cheap, reliable, fast hardwired access to information when you can give them expensive unreliable satellite access to information.

nick

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Oh good, more space junk in LEO

WhatAmLemmy

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What happens when China and Russia send up their own constellations? How many companies and governments are allowed to launch their own? Every new constellation significantly increases the chances of a kessler syndrome in LEO, for minimal gain, beyond maybe 2 for redundancy.

jantin

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Musky and Bezos are probably well aware of this so they happily pour billions into these systems. Whoever gets them up first is essentially taking up space others may want to use later on. The endgame is probably "make the world dependent on MY sat system and hike rates". And if the countries wanted to lay cable? Force the world to bail me when the overblown constellations collapse financially - basically make the kessler the future authorities' problem. Privatise profits, socialise losses, fuck everyone else because I got mine. If things go well the men in charge won't even be alive anymore when shit hits the fan.

Syntha

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There is no real danger of Kessler syndrome because these satellites burn up in the atmosphere after a few years anyways.

NotMyOldRedditName

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It could still fuck space up for 3-5 years which would be a pain.

wahming

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There are reasons to be concerned about the situation. Kessler syndrome is not one of them, not in LEO

ikidd

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It's LEO. If they shut off navigation tomorrow, they'd all be falling cinders in a year.

Excrubulent

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I'd like to hope that in a few years when we collectively decide this was a bad idea we can start hitting them with lasers and ablatively decelerating them to burn up in the atmosphere.

I mean I don't have a lot of hope for that, but call it a wistful fantasy.

partial_accumen

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I’d like to hope that in a few years when we collectively decide this was a bad idea we can start hitting them with lasers and ablatively decelerating them to burn up in the atmosphere.

If we do nothing at all they'll burn up in 3-5 years anyway. Starlink operates in a very low orbit. Thats one of the reasons there have to be so many of them. A higher orbit (like MEO instead of LEO) would mean fewer needed satellites for the same level of coverage of the Earth.

Excrubulent

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I want to SHOOT THEM DOWN. Send a FUCKING MESSAGE.

(I know you're right I'm just a cranky pants)

b3an

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It’s worse than that. The laser communications between them could also cause issues with earth-based systems like observatories.

wulf

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Call me a socialist, but the moment the tech was proven either the US or some UN based org should have eminent domained and brought Starlink.

That way there wouldn't be multiple companies sending tens of thousands of satellites into space. And hypothetically there would be a greater expectation of equal access. Oh and access wouldn't be at the whim of a pretty billionaire.

partial_accumen

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Call me a socialist, but the moment the tech was proven either the US or some UN based org should have eminent domained and brought Starlink.

That would have had a functional constellation for about 4 years or so. Without constantly launching new satellites, the constellation would degrade to uselessness. Who's going to buy the rockets and replacement satellites and keep launching replacements?

PlutoniumAcid

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Who? If it's not either profitable or has a distinct benefit, then it does not deserve to exist.

autotldr

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This is the best summary I could come up with:

Similar to SpaceX's Starlink, Project Kuiper is Amazon's plan to provide high-speed internet by launching and connecting 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).

The firm launched two prototype satellites in October and began testing the systems required for the network to operate.

One key test was validating the optical inter-satellite link (OISL) technology, which uses infrared lasers to send data between the spacecraft.

Currently, Earthbound optical fiber cables power high-speed internet services by using light to transmit data over great distances.

Amazon plans for Project Kuiper to offer speeds of up to 400 megabits per second for most consumers when fully deployed in 2029.

The original article contains 424 words, the summary contains 138 words. Saved 67%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

phoenixz

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Ah fuck no, can we please stop polluting our low earth orbit with this trash? All of this is a bad idea, bad execution, and there are much better alternatives available

Greyghoster

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Given that these low orbit spacecraft only last a few years before they deorbit, I wonder how long this incredibly expensive and climate destructive industry will last. Most industries try for low cost of ownership while this one seems to built in high maintenance.