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Category: SpaceRevolution

  • NASA May Have Found the Problem With Hubble

    NASA May Have Found the Problem With Hubble

    NASA believes it has discovered the issue with Hubble, after the telescope has been in safe mode for over a month.

    The Hubble Telescope’s payload computer started malfunctioning in June. Despite various attempts to get it working properly, NASA has not had any success. NASA has gained enough understanding from the failed attempts to now have a clearer picture of what’s happening.

    NASA believes the problem is in the Power Control Unit (PCU). 

    It ensures a steady voltage supply to the payload computer’s hardware. The PCU contains a power regulator that provides a constant five volts of electricity to the payload computer and its memory. A secondary protection circuit senses the voltage levels leaving the power regulator. If the voltage falls below or exceeds allowable levels, this secondary circuit tells the payload computer that it should cease operations. The team’s analysis suggests that either the voltage level from the regulator is outside of acceptable levels (thereby tripping the secondary protection circuit), or the secondary protection circuit has degraded over time and is stuck in this inhibit state.

    Like much of the systems on Hubble, there is a backup PCU. NASA is now trying to switch to the backup, a process that was also done in 2008 and will take several days to complete.

  • Amazon Increases Efforts to Take on SpaceX, Acquires Facebook Satellite Internet Team

    Amazon Increases Efforts to Take on SpaceX, Acquires Facebook Satellite Internet Team

    Amazon is doubling down on its efforts to take on SpaceX in the battle for satellite internet, acquiring Facebook’s team to assist it.

    SpaceX is the undisputed leader in providing low-Earth orbit satellite internet. Unlike traditional satellite internet, SpaceX’s Starlink service offers speeds comparable with terrestrial broadband.

    Amazon has been working on its own service, but still lags far behind SpaceX. According to The Information, via Business Insider, Amazon is working to change that and has acquired Facebook’s team of more than a dozen strong. While Facebook had initially planned on launching its own service, the company told Insider it now plans to work with partner companies instead.

    Amazon also acquired some intellectual property as part of the deal, along with facilities and equipment. It remains to be seen if the addition will help Amazon catch up to SpaceX.

  • OneWeb’s Latest Launch Paves Way for Internet Service

    OneWeb’s Latest Launch Paves Way for Internet Service

    OneWeb has launched an additional 36 satellites, a milestone that will enable the company to start offering internet service this year.

    OneWeb is one of the main competitors to Elon Musk’s Starlink. Whereas Starlink has been offering service since 2020, OneWeb has still been launching its satellites and building out its constellation.

    The latest launch, however, brings the company across the tipping point where it will be able to start offering service in the northern hemisphere, according to Reuters. The company now has some 200 satellites in orbit and will soon be able to provide coverage to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Northern Europe, the United Kingdom, conventional US and the Arctic Seas.

    While OneWeb lags far behind Starlink, which Musk is projecting to hit 500,000 users within 12 months, having a second low-Earth orbit satellite internet provider is a big win for consumers.

  • SpaceX Successfully Launches 88 Satellites

    SpaceX Successfully Launches 88 Satellites

    SpaceX has deployed 88 satellites, 85 of them for customers, as the company ramps up its payload delivery service.

    SpaceX has previously focused largely on deploying its own satellites, specifically for its Starlink constellation. The company is now branching out into space ridesharing, launching satellites for customers.

    The first such launch, Transporter-1, carried 143 satellites. Tuesday’s launch, Transporter-2, only carried 88 satellites but, according to TechCrunch, contained more overall mass.

    The launch also marked the first time this year the company successfully landed its first stage onshore, as opposed to landing on a drone ship.

  • Musk Sees Starlink Having 500,000 Users in 12 Months

    Musk Sees Starlink Having 500,000 Users in 12 Months

    Elon Musk talked about the status of Starlink, along with his expectations for the future, including his belief the service will have 500,000 users in 12 months.

    Starlink is the satellite constellation being deployed by Musk’s second company, SpaceX. The satellites are being deployed in low-Earth orbit and provide internet access to underserved communities. Because of their relatively low orbit, the service offers speeds and latency far in excess of traditional satellite internet, and more directly competes with traditional broadband.

    Musk made a remote appearance at the Mobile World Congress event, where he discussed the progress Starlink has made. The constellation now includes 1,500 satellites, with global internet coverage expected by next month, minus the poles.

    Musk also said he believes the service will grow rapidly over the next year.

    “We recently passed the strategically notable number of 69,420 active users,” Musk said, according to Mashable. ”We’re, I think, on our way to have a few hundred thousand users, possibly over 500,000 users within 12 months.”

    Individuals hoping to ditch their cable or fiber internet in the cities may be disappointed, however. Musk reiterated the service is primarily for underserved communities that don’t have access to traditional alternatives, and the company may limit users in more densely populated regions.

  • Starlink Targeting September for Global Coverage

    Starlink Targeting September for Global Coverage

    SpaceX is planning on providing global internet coverage by September, via its Starlink satellite constellation.

    Starlink is a satellite constellation in low-Earth orbit, providing faster speeds and better latency than traditional satellite internet. The service has been rolling out in various markets as SpaceX has continued to launch its satellites into orbit.

    The company is now targeting September as the point when it will have global coverage, according to Reuters.

    “We’ve successfully deployed 1,800 or so satellites and once all those satellites reach their operational orbit, we will have continuous global coverage, so that should be like September timeframe,” president Gwynne Shotwell told a Macquarie Group conference.

    Starlink has already transformed the internet experience for many individuals in rural and underserved areas. Global coverage by September is good news for those who still struggle to have reliable internet access.

  • Hubble Telescope Running in Safe Mode

    Hubble Telescope Running in Safe Mode

    After decades of peering into the cosmos, the Hubble Space Telescope is experiencing a major computer issue and is running in safe mode.

    On June 13, NASA detected a problem when Hubble’s computer halted. Attempts to restart it failed, with a degrading memory module identified as the problem. Further attempts to bring the memory module online also failed.

    NASA says the computer running Hubble’s instruments is a 1980s computer, with a full backup system as well. There are four memory modules that either computer can access, but attempts to have the primary computer switch to the backup modules failed.

    When the operations team attempted to switch to a back-up memory module, however, the command to initiate the backup module failed to complete. Another attempt was conducted on both modules Thursday evening to obtain more diagnostic information while again trying to bring those memory modules online. However, those attempts were not successful.

    It remains to be seen if NASA engineers will need to switch to the backup computer, but the longer the issue persists the more likely the switch will happen.

    It is fully redundant in that a second computer, along with its associated hardware, exists on orbit that can be switched over to in the event of a problem. Both computers can access and use any of four independent memory modules, which each contain 64K of Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) memory. The payload computer uses only one memory module operationally at a time, with the other three serving as backups.

    If engineers are not able to fix the problem remotely, NASA may need to send astronauts to the telescope to fix it.

  • SpaceX in Talks With Airlines to Provide In-Flight Starlink Internet

    SpaceX in Talks With Airlines to Provide In-Flight Starlink Internet

     

    Elon Musk’s SpaceX is in talks with “several of the airlines” to provide in-flight WiFi using the company’s Starlink satellite internet service.

    Starlink is the company’s constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit, designed to provide internet access. Because they are in low-Earth orbit, the service is much faster and has lower latency than traditional satellite internet. Many customers are reporting speeds well over 100 Mbps.

    SpaceX is now in talks with airlines to provide in-flight WiFi, a move that could be profitable and help raise awareness for the service. SpaceX said earlier this year that it intends to beam internet service to all kinds of mobile transportation including planes, ships, and trucks.

    “We’re in talks with several of the airlines,” Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX’s VP of Starlink and commercial sales, said Wednesday. “We have our own aviation product in development… we’ve already done some demonstrations to date, and looking to get that product finalized to be put on aircraft in the very near future.”

    Ultimately, the company intends to interlink the satellites with “space lasers” enabling the Starlink network to exchange data between satellites directly instead of beaming to Earth and back. 

    “With these space lasers the Starlink satellites were able to transfer hundreds of gigabytes of data,” said SpaceX Senior Engineer Kate Tice. “Starlink will be one of the fastest options available to transfer data around the world.”

    SpaceX is currently in the lead among low-Earth orbit satellite options, and a deal with airlines could help cement that lead even more.

    The low-Earth orbit Starlink constellation includes 1,635 satellites so far and has an ultimate goal of 42,000 total. Currently, Starlink is servicing remote houses and businesses that aren’t able to receive internet service by other means.

  • Jeff Bezos, and Brother Mark, Will Be On First Crewed Blue Origin Flight

    Jeff Bezos, and Brother Mark, Will Be On First Crewed Blue Origin Flight

    Jeff Bezos, and his brother Mark, will be among those on the first crewed Blue Origin flight.

    Blue Origin’s flight is scheduled for July 20, and will use the New Shepard vehicle. The New Shepard is made up of reusable rocket and capsule, and has undergone 11 unmanned test flights in preparation.

    Bezos announced the news via Instagram.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CP0MSOqnYEo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    One of the other seats is currently being auctioned off, with bids already reaching $2.8 million, with nearly 6,000 individuals bidding from 143 countries.

  • SpaceX Taps Google to Assist With Starlink Internet Access

    SpaceX Taps Google to Assist With Starlink Internet Access

    Google is partnering with SpaceX to provide cloud and internet services, in combination with the latter’s Starlink satellite internet.

    Starlink is a constellation of satellites SpaceX is deploying to provide internet access. Unlike old-school satellite internet, Starlink satellites are in low-Earth orbit, offering speeds and latency that are comparable with Earth-bound broadband. As part of the equation, SpaceX ground stations relay the internet signal from the satellites to the end-user.

    As part of the deal between the two companies, SpaceX’s ground stations will be placed in Google data centers. This will give SpaceX access to Google’s high-capacity private network, a big boost for corporate and enterprise customers. The arrangement will especially benefit companies that rely on edge computing, or those in rural areas that need access to cloud services.

    “Applications and services running in the cloud can be transformative for organizations, whether they’re operating in a highly networked or remote environment,” said Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Infrastructure at Google Cloud. “We are delighted to partner with SpaceX to ensure that organizations with distributed footprints have seamless, secure, and fast access to the critical applications and services they need to keep their teams up and running.”

    “Combining Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency broadband with Google’s infrastructure and capabilities provides global organizations with the secure and fast connection that modern organizations expect,” said SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. “We are proud to work with Google to deliver this access to businesses, public sector organizations, and many other groups operating around the world.”

    Customers will begin benefiting from the partnership in the second half of 2021.

  • Elon Musk: Starlink Received Over 500,000 Orders, Most Will Receive Service

    Elon Musk: Starlink Received Over 500,000 Orders, Most Will Receive Service

    Elon Musk has disclosed that Starlink has received more than 500,000 orders, most of which will be filled.

    Starlink is the satellite constellation being deployed by Musk’s SpaceX company for the purpose of delivering high-speed internet access to underserved communities. Because Starlink is in low-Earth orbit, it is able to deliver speeds and latency on par with terrestrial broadband.

    The service had over 10,000 users as of February, but it appears there are far more interested in signing up. Some 500,000 have signed up for access, paying a deposit to be on the waiting list. Although Musk expects the majority of those will receive service, the deposits they paid are fully refundable, meaning any who don’t receive service will get a refund.

  • FCC Approves Additional Starlink Satellites at Lower Altitudes

    FCC Approves Additional Starlink Satellites at Lower Altitudes

    The Federal Communications Commission has granted SpaceX permission to launch satellites at a lower altitude.

    SpaceX has been deploying its Starlink satellite constellation with the goal of providing high-speed internet access to underserved communities around the world. The company has received extra impetus as a result of the pandemic, as many individuals in remote areas have struggled with reliable broadband.

    The majority of the Starlink constellation operates in the 1,100 – 1,300 km range, but SpaceX is wanting to launch 2,814 satellites at a much lower range — 540 – 570 km. The FCC has agreed to the request.

    Specifically, we modify the license by reducing the number of satellites from 4,409 to 4,408; modifying the primary operational altitude specified for 2,814 satellites, to change it from the 1,100-1,300 km range to the 540-570 km range

    Deploying satellites in lower orbit will help improve the speed and latency of the internet access, as it shortens the distance data must travel to and from the satellite to Earth-bound base stations.

    As part of the agreement, SpaceX had to agree to accept interference from Amazon’s Kuiper satellite constellation, which already had permission to operate in the lower altitude.

    SpaceX has since agreed to accept interference from the Kuiper system as well with respect to its Ka-band uplinks, where operating SpaceX’s satellites at lower altitudes will potentially make SpaceX more susceptible to interference.

  • SpaceX President: No Plans for Tiered Starlink Pricing

    SpaceX President: No Plans for Tiered Starlink Pricing

    SpaceX is aggressively rolling out its Starlink satellite internet service, and has no plans to offer multi-tier pricing.

    Starlink is a constellation of satellites designed to provide internet access to underserved communities around the world. Because the satellites are in low-Earth orbit, they provide much faster performance and lower latency than traditional satellite internet options.

    The service is currently in beta, but has been widely praised by users for offering speeds up to 500+ Mbps. While those reports are extreme cases, the average speeds users see are 80 – 90 Mbps. For individuals in remote areas, without access to fiber or cable internet, Starlink has been a game-changer.

    While many internet service providers offer tiered pricing, with different options, Space X president Gwynne Shotwell doesn’t see the company going that route, according to CNBC.

    “I don’t think we’re going to do tiered pricing to consumers. We’re going to try to keep it as simple as possible and transparent as possible, so right now there are no plans to tier for consumers,” Shotwell said, speaking on a virtual panel at the Satellite 2021 “LEO Digital Forum.”

    While some may lament the lack of choice, most consumers will probably appreciate the simple, straightforward options. The decision also puts Starlink in the same position as T-Mobile’s Home Internet, which also has a single, all-inclusive price for its service. After years of internet companies nickel-and-diming customers, simple options like Starlink and T-Mobile Home Internet are a breath of fresh air.

  • Elon Musk Is Now ‘Technoking’

    Elon Musk Is Now ‘Technoking’

    Elon Musk has officially dubbed himself ‘Technoking of Tesla’ and CFO Zach Kirkhorn is now ‘Master of Coin.” Seriously, this title change was in an SEC filing. In other news, Howard Stern is still ‘King of All Media’, and Dwayne Jonson would like to be called Dwayne Johnson but says calling him ‘The Rock’ is also fine.

    UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION filing:

    “Effective as of March 15, 2021, the titles of Elon Musk and Zach Kirkhorn have changed to Technoking of Tesla and Master of Coin, respectively. Elon and Zach will also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.”

    This title change by Musk is not to be confused with Techno King Zenki Fujiyoshi, who made this techno video that garnered over 600,000 views on YouTube:

    Obviously, Musk has a penchant for messing with all of us and especially the SEC since they took away his Board Chairman title.

  • NASA Working on Moon-Based Solar Power

    NASA Working on Moon-Based Solar Power

    NASA is working with commercial companies to ensure there is sustainable power on the moon to power any future bases.

    With renewed interest in space and colonization in the solar system, having reliable, sustainable power sources is a critical step. NASA is working with several companies to ensure they can meet any future power needs on the moon.

    Niki Werkheiser, director of technology maturation in NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), told the Houston Chronicle how important the technology was to NASA’s efforts.

    “We are thrilled with the proposals received and even more excited to see the designs that result from the base effort,” Werkheiser said. “Having reliable power sources on the Moon is key to almost anything we do on the surface. By working with five different companies to design these prototype systems, we are effectively mitigating the risk that is inherent to developing such cutting-edge technologies.”

  • SpaceX Wants to Beam Starlink Internet to Planes, Ships and Trucks

    SpaceX Wants to Beam Starlink Internet to Planes, Ships and Trucks

    SpaceX wants to expand its Starlink internet access to moving vehicles, including planes, ships, trucks and RVs.

    Starlink is a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit that provide internet access to remote and underserved communities. The service has already met with favorable reviews, providing internet speeds that were previously unavailable to many of its customers.

    In order to work, the satellite constellation is paired with ground antennas. SpaceX is asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to install its satellite receivers on moving vehicles to provide them with internet access.

    Consumers are interacting with broadband platforms in an increasing variety of ways. No longer are users willing to forego connectivity while on the move, whether driving a truck across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while on a domestic or international flight.

    Elon Musk clarified the service is not aimed at cars, but is intended for larger vehicles.

  • SpaceX Launches 60 More Satellites, Working Toward 400 Per Trip

    SpaceX Launches 60 More Satellites, Working Toward 400 Per Trip

    SpaceX has successfully launched another 60 satellites for its Starlink constellation.

    Starlink is the company’s constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites designed to provide high-speed internet access to remote and underserved communities around the world. The service has received favorable reviews by early adopters, in some cases providing life-changing internet access compared to what was previously available.

    The company has initial approval for 12,000 satellites, although that could increase to as many as 42,000 in time. SpaceX recently passed 1,000 satellites in orbit but, at 60 satellites per launch, it will take some time to reach 12,000. Fortunately, the company believes it will be able to cover most of the globe once it hits 1,200 satellites.

    According to TechCrunch, however, the company is working on greatly increasing its payload size. Once it finishes work on its Starship, it will be able to launch 400 satellites at a time.

    At that rate, Starlink will reach its full size in no time.

  • Starlink Will Double Speeds and Cover Most of the World This Year

    Starlink Will Double Speeds and Cover Most of the World This Year

    Starlink internet service is poised to expand to much of the world, and double in speed, later this year.

    SpaceX’s Starlink is a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit. The constellation is designed to provide internet access to remote and under-served communities around the world. Many early adopters are reporting speeds in excess of 150 Mbps and latency of 39 ms.

    Elon Musk is teasing the company will significantly improve that this year.

    Musk also said the service will expand to most of the globe in that time.

    Starlink is already revolutionizing what people can do, providing a level of internet access many rural customers have never enjoyed. Musk’s announcements are good news for potential customers. Starlink’s expansion is especially good news at a time when record numbers of people are working from home, in some cases in areas where traditional internet options are less than ideal.

  • Microsoft and HPE Partner to Deliver AI and Edge Computing to Space

    Microsoft and HPE Partner to Deliver AI and Edge Computing to Space

    Microsoft and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have partnered to bring AI and edge computing to the International Space Station (ISS).

    HPE has been working with NASA to create a commercial, off-the-shelf supercomputer for use on the ISS. The Spaceborne Computer-2 (SBC-2) is specifically built on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system, designed for the harshest edge environments — which space certainly qualifies as.

    Microsoft and HPE are working to connect the SBC-2 to Azure, to enable cloud computing, along with AI and machine learning development in the ultimate edge environment.

    “HPE and Microsoft are collaborating to further accelerate space exploration by delivering state-of-the art technologies to tackle a range of data processing needs while in orbit. By bringing together HPE’s Spaceborne Computer-2, which is based on the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge system for advanced edge computing and AI capabilities, with Microsoft Azure to connect to the cloud, we are enabling space explorers to seamlessly transmit large data sets to and from Earth and benefit from an edge-to-cloud experience. We look forward to collaborating with Microsoft on their Azure Space efforts, which share our vision to accelerate discovery and help make breakthroughs to support life and sustainability in future, extended human missions to space.” —Dr. Mark Fernandez, Solutions Architect of Converged Edge Systems at HPE and Principal Investigator for Spaceborne Computer-2

    Microsoft first announced its Azure Space program in October, as a concerted effort to bring cloud computing to space.

    “Today’s announcement advances Azure Space in bringing Azure AI and machine learning to new space missions and emphasizes the true power of hyperscale computing in support of edge scenarios—connecting anyone, anywhere to the cloud,” writesTom Keane Corporate Vice President, Azure Global, Microsoft Azure. “Our collaboration with HPE is just the first step in an incredible journey and will provide researchers and students access to these insights and technologies, inspiring the next generation of those who wish to invent with purpose, on and off the planet.”

  • Elon Musk: People With MBAs Want To Parachute Into Being The Boss

    Elon Musk: People With MBAs Want To Parachute Into Being The Boss

    Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was recently interviewed by renowned manufacturing guru Sandy Munro where he talked about MBAs. Musk is not a fan of how people with MBAs from high profile business schools seem to think that they should go directly from school to a leadership position before they have had any actual experience.

    Here are Elon Musk’s somewhat colorful comments on MBAs. The full interview with Elon Musk can be watched below as well:

    The path to leadership should not be through an MBA business school situation. It should be kind of work your way up and do useful things. There’s a bit too much of the somebody goes to a high-profile MBA school and then kind of parachutes in as the leader but they don’t actually know how things work. They could be good at say PowerPoint presentations or something like that, and they can present well, but they don’t actually know how things work. They parachute in instead of working their way up. They’re kind of like just not aware of what’s really needed to make great products. 

    I don’t want to trash MBAs too much here. I actually do have a dual undergrad, a Wharton undergrad, and physics at UPenn. I have direct exposure to business school and I went to do undergrad school with physics and I was a teaching assistant for two semesters and I graded MBAs and undergrads. I think it’s just a little bit too much. People look at MBA school as like I want to parachute into being the boss instead of earning it. I don’t think that’s good. 

    Elon Musk: People With MBAs Want To Parachute Into Being The Boss
  • SpaceX Now Has Over 10,000 Starlink Internet Customers

    SpaceX Now Has Over 10,000 Starlink Internet Customers

    SpaceX has crossed a significant milestone, announcing it now has over 10,000 subscribers to its Starlink internet service.

    Starlink is a constellation of satellites in low-Earth orbit, designed to provide internet access to remote and underserved communities. Because the satellites are in low-Earth orbit, the service offers relatively high speeds and low latency, unlike traditional satellite internet services.

    The service just entered beta in late-October, expanding to the UK in January. Despite its short time on the market, the service has already passed 10,000 users, according to an FCC filing (PDF).

    Starlink’s performance is not theoretical or experimental. Over 10,000 users in the United States and abroad are using the service today. While its performance is rapidly accelerating in real time as part of its public beta program, the Starlink network has already successfully demonstrated it can surpass the Commission’s “Above Baseline” and “Low Latency” performance tiers.

    Starlink’s speed has been its biggest selling point, with many users seeing speeds in excess of 150 Mbps, combined with latency as low as 39 ms. Because many customers live in remote areas, in some cases, users were only getting single-digit speeds — or less — prior to making the switch to Starlink.