Space X – Greg Laden's Blog https://gregladen.com/blog Sun, 02 Dec 2018 18:24:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 https://i0.wp.com/gregladen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Greg_Ladens_Blog_Favicon_black_GLb.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Space X – Greg Laden's Blog https://gregladen.com/blog 32 32 77525483 How many satellites are there, and will there be? https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/11/16/how-many-satellites-are-there-and-will-there-be/ https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/11/16/how-many-satellites-are-there-and-will-there-be/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2018 22:20:17 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=30898 Continue reading How many satellites are there, and will there be? →]]> The number of satellite circling the Earth right now is approaching 5,000. The number that are not broken, and are being actually used, is just over 1,000. However, Space X, Elon Musk’s megacompany, is approved to launch well over 10,000 satellites over the next several years, to serve a single purpose: Give broadband internet to every human on Earth no matter where they are.

Unless it is cloudy, I guess. I mean, Satellite TV does not work when the weather is bad.

Not to be a curmudgeon about this, but I wonder if this increases the likelihood of a Kessler event?

There are important details. Most of these satellites will be in low orbit, and a large number will be in even lower orbit. I assume this means that of the several thousand satellites circling the Earth at 1,000 to 1,400 km, there will be a regular replacement cycle, because don’t low orbit satellites’ orbits wear down?

Anyway, it is a very interesting project. Read about it here.

]]> https://gregladen.com/blog/2018/11/16/how-many-satellites-are-there-and-will-there-be/feed/ 3 30898 How to do amateur sky-watching. NOT! https://gregladen.com/blog/2017/12/27/amateur-sky-watching-not/ https://gregladen.com/blog/2017/12/27/amateur-sky-watching-not/#comments Wed, 27 Dec 2017 19:30:21 +0000 https://gregladen.com/blog/?p=28621 In the very beginning, dad admonishes a kid with the phrase “nothing flies randomly…”

Then shit starts flying randomly.

Trigger warning: Shocking event just after 1:13.

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