Why China reacted so strongly to its Tiangong space station’s near-misses with Elon Musk’s satellites

[Kai Liu]

Well that comes out of jealousy of the mere thought SpaceX will win the space race.

Undoubtedly, SpaceX is the most successful and advanced space-related company, more successful than any government agency.
Starlink already works. All that's left to do is expand it and optimize it to perfection.

I actually think the US actually won't destroy Chinese satellites that would pose direct threat to American satellites and the same applies to China (since the threat is mutual, because of the shared collision orbits)

Such a step could even lock us on earth for all eternity, or until a solution to the debris is found.

We don't even have to be 'jealous' of some boasting shxt purely for getting fools' money from the stock market...LMAO...

 

[Beny Karachun]

Your narrative doesn't meet the reality. China has told the world starlink is not safe. Believe it or not, up to you. And make sure the starlink won't be used by US government for military purpose, drones attack for example. Otherwise starlink can be easily destoryed.

Then China is wrong, because Starlink is in itself designed to not carelessly crash into other satellites. Even without avoidance, the probability of it happening unintentionally is basically 0 because of the characteristics of 3D space. Even if China didn't move its space station (Which it regularly does to avoid debris) the satellite eventually would have.

Starlink is already being used for US military communications purposes.

We don't even have to be 'jealous' of some boasting shxt purely for getting fools' money from the stock market...LMAO...

Maybe you didn't hear it but almost every nation with a space program uses SpaceX to deliver their payloads into orbit.

 

[Beidou2020]

This is deliberately done by the US to destroy the Chinese Space Station.

There is no end to the evil and wickedness of that country. Ugh!

 

[kankan326]

Because reaching Antarctica with internet fibers is more costly and complicated than launching a satellite to do the same apparently.

There are billions of people that live in rural areas with no/slow internet connection.

Antarctica is just an example. A starlink satellite in orbit provides internet over the area it orbits, that means in order to provide constant internet there needs to be many satellites in a single orbit.
However that doesn't make internet available just to a single area but to all of the area under the orbit, so it isn't as if you're launching a satellite for every African village out there, the same satellites that will provide internet to Kenya would also provide internet to any country under the same equator line.

In the end, it's less complicated to launch satellites to cover the entire world than to connect it with wires.

A good proof of concept is satellite TVs, cable is very expensive to install, so for many cities and even countries satellite TV is the most efficient way for TV broadcasting.

So starlink is designed for small part of people. Which means very high fee for consumers. Most people in rural areas can not afford its service. Traditional web service suppliers don't use fibers either. They use base stations.

 

[Beny Karachun]

So starlink is designed for small part of people. Which means very high fee for consumers. Most people in rural areas can not afford its service. Traditional web service suppliers don't use fibers either. They use base stations.

Satellite TV services revenue worldwide 2020 | Statista

In 2020, satellite television services revenue amounted to 88.4 billion U.S.

www.statista.com

Today, globally, satellite TVs give a revenue of around 90 billion dollars annually.

There's nothing that prevents Starlink hitting those numbers in the future.

The price of Starlink is already comparable to satellite TV providers and will probably get even lower (The Starlink satellite dishes at least would).

The difference is, there is more demand for satellite internet than satellite TV. In the US alone, the average American pays $1.13/Mbps per month for internet, while Starlink users would pay $0.96/Mbps per month, making it an attractive alternative. And that's a developed first world nation, in third world countries, internet is much worse.

Of course it doesn't apply to everyone, my house for example has fiber optic internet and I get 2.5Gbps so getting Starlink would be a downgrade.
But for people without access to such infrastructure, this is revolutionary. This even applies to rural China, although I don't think Starlink will ever be legal there.

 

[Paul2]

Well that comes out of jealousy of the mere thought SpaceX will win the space race.

Undoubtedly, SpaceX is the most successful and advanced space-related company, more successful than any government agency.
Starlink already works. All that's left to do is expand it and optimize it to perfection.

I actually think the US actually won't destroy Chinese satellites that would pose direct threat to American satellites and the same applies to China (since the threat is mutual, because of the shared collision orbits)

Such a step could even lock us on earth for all eternity, or until a solution to the debris is found.

I think this is realistically what every military will do.

Launch few bags of sand retrograde into orbit, and it will be denied to anybody for years.

 

[kankan326]

Satellite TV services revenue worldwide 2020 | Statista

In 2020, satellite television services revenue amounted to 88.4 billion U.S.

www.statista.com

View attachment 804569
Today, globally, satellite TVs give a revenue of around 90 billion dollars annually.

There's nothing that prevents Starlink hitting those numbers in the future.

The price of Starlink is already comparable to satellite TV providers and will probably get even lower (The Starlink satellite dishes at least would).

The difference is, there is more demand for satellite internet than satellite TV. In the US alone, the average American pays $1.13/Mbps per month for internet, while Starlink users would pay $0.96/Mbps per month, making it an attractive alternative. And that's a developed first world nation, in third world countries, internet is much worse.

Of course it doesn't apply to everyone, my house for example has fiber optic internet and I get 2.5Gbps so getting Starlink would be a downgrade.
But for people without access to such infrastructure, this is revolutionary. This even applies to rural China, although I don't think Starlink will ever be legal there.

All you said just proves starlink has a low quality/cost ratio. It's just a compromise for those who don't have access to traditional web service. It doesn't work for all newest applications that need 5G fast information transfer service. It's a product of 4G.

China doesn't need starlink service because China built too many 4G and 5G base stations all over the country. If China some day builds Chinese version starlink, it will be mainly used for military usage. or to compete with starlink to weaken its dominance.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

I think this is realistically what every military will do.

Launch few bags of sand retrograde into orbit, and it will be denied to anybody for years.

sand is subject to radiation pressure due to high abedo and small particle size. due to irregular shape has high drag. orbits are unpredictable and they burn up in the atmosphere easily (see meteors).

now a bag of steel bearings? that's the real deal.

 

[northeast]

So starlink is designed for small part of people. Which means very high fee for consumers. Most people in rural areas can not afford its service. Traditional web service suppliers don't use fibers either. They use base stations.

It's a military project funded by pentagon. They don't really care about its shitty civillian services.

 

[TNT]

Starlink is revolutionary and is more important to the human race than any Chinese space station, if it manages to provide internet access to 3 more billion people, and improve the internet of billions as well. It will also be probably the most profitable business ever made, up until space mining begins.

Besides, Starlink satellite orbits are known and trackable, Chinese and Russian anti-satellite tests cause small, untrackable debris that endangers not only western space missions, but Russian and Chinese ones too.

Fool, blowing up space objects flying towards you you basically guarantees the destruction of your ship

No its not, u junk the orbit just for Internet? Orbit based internet can never match bandwidth of optical networks. Internet is even provided by cellular network, which almost covers the whole populated planet, so why need of slow and LOS based internet?
Debris are dangerous but for a limited time, a large number of satellites in orbit is a constant danger, any loss of control can cause damage.

 

[StraightEdge]

if it manages to provide internet access to 3 more billion people, and improve the internet of billions as well. It will also be probably the most profitable business ever made, up until space mining begins.

If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

With the prices I saw, Starlink will be lucky to sell even 3000 outside of western countries. In India, they might as well forget even considering that nonsense.

How much will Elon Musk led Starlink Internet connection cost in India? Find out (hindustantimes.com)

"The company’s Rs 1.58 lakh first-year cost estimate of a Starlink terminal in India includes $499 (Rs 37,400) towards user equipment, a monthly $99 service fee (Rs 7,425 approx) spread over a year and local taxes/levies at 30%." They have to be idiots to even offer this service in India where data plans are cheaper than anywhere in world.
China won't allow Starlink for obvious purposes. And Africa won't touch it at those prices under any condition.

 

[Song Hong]

There is only niche applications of Starlink, which is to provide datalink for airliners, or Siberia or ships.

Very difficult to be profitable else immarsat will be rich.

 

[Apollon]

They are hopelessly behind and continue to underestimate the pace that SpaceX is innovating. 2022 will be another record year for SpaceX.

SpaceX has nothing compareable to Ariane V

 

[Beny Karachun]

No its not, u junk the orbit just for Internet? Orbit based internet can never match bandwidth of optical networks. Internet is even provided by cellular network, which almost covers the whole populated planet, so why need of slow and LOS based internet?
Debris are dangerous but for a limited time, a large number of satellites in orbit is a constant danger, any loss of control can cause damage.

Except the very base of your argument is wrong.
Almost covers the whole populated planet? You're wrong, there are billions without internet access/with very slow internet access. Not all cellular networks are equal, most of the undeveloped world either has 2G or 3G networks at best, or no networks at all.

"At the end of 2017, 3.3 billion people were connected to the mobile internet, representing an increase of almost 300 million compared to the previous year.1 However, more than 4 billion people still remain offline and 1 billion of these are not covered by mobile broadband networks (the ‘coverage gap’). Some 3 billion people live within the footprint of a network but are not accessing mobile internet services (the ‘usage gap’), highlighting the importance of demand-side factors in connecting the unconnected."
And the situation isn't much better today.

There are also many places with no network connection in forests, deserts etc even in developed countries. SpaceX strives to fix that.

The second thing you're wrong about is Starlink being slow.

You can clearly see that there are billions of people with 0-10Mbps internet speed.
Starlink gets 150Mbps, and it's going to get faster.

A large number of satellites in orbit is not a constant danger as long as they're visible and their orbits are known.
Don't say things you have no idea about.

 

[Beny Karachun]

SpaceX has nothing compareable to Ariane V

SpaceX has the Falcon Heavy which is twice its mass at 1,420 tons compared to 777 tons and can deliver 63.8 tons to low earth orbit compared to Ariane V's 20 tons.
All that with reusable, self landing boosters and generally more advanced technology.

And soon it will have the Starship (Already has working prototypes) which will absolutely trash any spaceship that's going to be developed for the next 20 years by anyone that's not SpaceX

If my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.

With the prices I saw, Starlink will be lucky to sell even 3000 outside of western countries. In India, they might as well forget even considering that nonsense.

How much will Elon Musk led Starlink Internet connection cost in India? Find out (hindustantimes.com)

"The company’s Rs 1.58 lakh first-year cost estimate of a Starlink terminal in India includes $499 (Rs 37,400) towards user equipment, a monthly $99 service fee (Rs 7,425 approx) spread over a year and local taxes/levies at 30%." They have to be idiots to even offer this service in India where data plans are cheaper than anywhere in world.
China won't allow Starlink for obvious purposes. And Africa won't touch it at those prices under any condition.

We will see.