News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network by rory096 on Friday April 06, 2018 @05:44PM (#16777738)
This is a great analogy! To add a little color, all of those satellites that are geostationary (most of them used for communications to date, with the exceptions of Iridium and o3b) are like vans laid out along the equator. Starlink's satellites (in addition to being at a much, much lower altitude) are in different planes - for even more separation from existing satellites.
Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network by readams on Friday April 06, 2018 @06:34PM (#16778097)
The available volume out at geostationary orbit absolutely dwarfs low earth orbit or the Earth's surface.
Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network by neuronexmachina on Friday April 06, 2018 @07:13PM (#16778305)
Unless I'm mistaken, isn't geostationary orbit essentially a single circle? So it technically has zero volume. Individual satellites are assigned constant locations in longitude.

https://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=10

Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network by tlrobinson on Friday April 06, 2018 @08:10PM (#16778594)
I think that's correct, but since they're stationary (relative to each other) perhaps they can be packed more densely without risk of collision?
Re:FCC approves SpaceX plan for satellite broadband network by readams on Friday April 06, 2018 @08:27PM (#16778677)
Geostationary orbit is just really really far away.