SpaceX has applied for the launch of 4425 communication satellites


    The Redmond Office is a SpaceX satellite operations center. Founded last year specifically for this project. Announcing the project in January 2015, Elon Musk imagined that someday there will be work up to 1,000

    private aerospace company, Space Exploration Holdings, LLC (SpaceX) has requested US government permission to work on their satellite service in the Earth's orbit in which its subsidiary company act as an operator. The corresponding application was submitted on November 15, 2016 to the Federal Communications Commission and published a few hours ago in the public domain under the number SAT-LOA-20161115-00118 .

    In accordance with the document, the SpaceX massive satellite network will consist of no more than 4425 satellites in low earth orbit, providing high-speed Internet access services on a global scale in the Ku (10.7-18 GHz) and Ka (26.5– 40 GHz).

    For comparison, now only about 1,400 satellites are in orbit around the Earth, including 800 in low orbit.

    According to a preliminary estimate of Ilona Mask, the cost of the project is estimated to be at least $ 10 billion. This is not news or sensation. The owner of the company SpaceX first mentioned this project in January 2015.

    Later, new documents were published, which include the technical details of the proposed network (a copy of the documents ), but do not contain financial details. To manage the satellite network, it is planned to create a new commercial company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp; among investors are Google and Fidelity Investments. Investors have already invested about $ 1 billion in a new space startup Ilona Mask

    As for technical details, the grouping will begin to form about 800 satellites from a small starting group. They are designed to provide Internet access in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. It is said that satellites will launch low-Earth orbit at five altitudes between 1,150 and 1,325 km. That is much higher than the International Space Station, but much lower than geostationary satellites. SpaceX is committed to meeting government requirements for reducing space debris.

    Each satellite is declared weighing 386 kg and measuring 4 × 1.8 × 1.2 m, that is, with an average passenger car, not counting the solar panels. The service life is from five to seven years. Theoretically, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle can take about 50 such satellites in one launch. With such a load, a minimum of 32 Falcon 9 launches will be required to output the first 1600 satellites.

    “The system is designed to provide a wide range of broadband and communication services for private, commercial, institutional, governmental and professional users around the world,” the SpaceX said.

    Similar massive satellite networks for Internet access are under development by OneWeb and Boeing. These companies must become competitors of SpaceX. In the future, affordable and mass satellite Internet will become for end-users an alternative to cable, fiber optic and other types of terrestrial communications.

    SpaceX does not report when the satellites will be put into orbit and launch the network. Of course, such a large commercial order for a long time will ensure the flow of funding for the company Ilona Mask. The launch of commercial satellites commissioned by private and public organizations is the core business of SpaceX. It also delivers cargo to the International Space Station for the ISS.

    The profitable and mass launch of thousands of communications satellites Ilon Mask wants to make a source of funding for the Martian program.


    SpaceX rocket launches are suspended since the incident on September 1 , when the launch vehicle destroyed the Falcon 9 launch vehicle worth $ 62 million and the Israeli communications satellite worth $ 200 million.

    SpaceX investigated the causes of the incident and hopes to resume launches in mid-December 2016 .

    To start the launch of satellites for this SpaceX project, you need to obtain permission from the Federal Communications Commission and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Statements at ITU are being made on behalf of the US government (called USASAT NGSO-3) and the government of Norway (called STEAM).

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