The Starlink project wants to allow humans to use WiFi in space, but astronomical observations are disturbed. Can it be done?
Starlink project, to let humans use space WiFi
Have you ever been in the wild and encountered the dilemma that your mobile phone traffic is not enough, and there is no WiFi around? It is really called the sky, the sky should not be, it is called the earth, the earth is not working! If only we could easily connect to WiFi wherever we are. In fact, someone in the world is already implementing this grand plan. He is the star of the technology industry, known as the Elon Musk of Silicon Valley's Iron Man.
When it comes to Musk, the great man, everyone is familiar with the private aerospace company SpaceX he founded and Tesla, the new energy vehicle company that has been talked about recently. Launching rockets, spacecraft, developing electric vehicles... Don't think that Musk's "ambition" ends here. He also wants humans to easily connect to WiFi no matter where they are on the earth, virgin forests, snow-capped mountains, canyons, oceans, glaciers, etc., and enjoy a colorful online world.
In January 2015, Musk announced that SpaceX plans to launch about 12,000 communication satellites into orbit to form a "Starlink" network to provide Internet services, allowing global users to enjoy the Internet anytime and anywhere. According to reports, Musk plans to add another 30,000 satellites in the future, bringing the total number of satellites in orbit to about 42,000. The Starlink plan is expected to officially start work around 2024.
We all know that people now rely on dense base stations and towers to transmit signals when using mobile phones. The Starlink plan is equivalent to laying out a terrestrial cellular network in space. Satellites are the best "space base stations". Thanks to the accumulation of SpaceX's early rocket technology, it seems to be easy to put satellites into low-Earth orbit.
In March 2018, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the two test satellites of the Starlink program into orbit and conducted ground-to-ground communication tests.
In May 2019, the first batch of 60 satellites was launched into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket.
In the years that followed, SpaceX carried out high-density launches on its Falcon 9 rockets, sometimes even twice a month. SpaceX's original rocket recycling technology has greatly saved launch costs.
In June 2020, SpaceX successfully completed the ninth launch of the Starlink program, and 61 satellites were successfully put into orbit. The most recent launch was on May 5 this year, and 60 Starlink satellites were once again placed in predetermined positions.
Just when people were rejoicing that they could use space WiFi soon, "trouble" came. Since the launch of the first satellite by humans so far, the number of satellites in space has not exceeded 7,000, but Musk expects to launch more than 40,000 in one go. So many satellites will have a serious impact on astronomical observations. In the clear night sky, people looked up at the long-awaited meteor shower and saw rows of bright spots flashing across the night sky. They were not meteor showers, but Musk's star chain! The astronomical telescope on the ground is facing the quiet starry sky, observing the distant universe, but it is disturbed by the trajectory of the Starlink satellite, which interferes with the observation effect. Those extra bright spots or bars on a photo can undo years of academic research.
Musk's Starlink team realized the seriousness of the problem, and they immediately proposed improvements. For example, a special paint is applied to the satellite to reduce the reflectivity of the satellite. Provide the satellite's orbit and other related parameters in a timely manner.
Although the Starlink project has encountered many difficulties, the persistent Musk will still persevere. I believe that in a few years, no matter where we are, we will not have to make trouble for not having WiFi. At that time, even if "call the earth, the earth will not work", but at least "call the sky, the sky will respond"!
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