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A comment on Scientists create their own GPS by spying on internet satellites. Parent comment

Re:Scientists create their own GPS by spying on internet sat... by krisoft on Wednesday September 29, 2021 @06:35AM (#28692045)
> My understanding is that the SpaceX ground stations uplink the orbital parameters of other satellites and/or debris and it is mostly up to the satellites to avoid a collision.

That is almost certainly not how that is implemented. Why would they run the orbit maneuver planning in space when they could do the whole thing comfortably on a simple server PC on earth?

> But overall the Starlink operations concept is probably tailored to mostly automated operations.

I agree with that. They are most definietly not hand-flying their birds. But this autonomy is most likely implemented on the ground.

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Re:Scientists create their own GPS by spying on internet sat... by visviva on Wednesday September 29, 2021 @09:21AM (#28693199)
> That is almost certainly not how that is implemented. Why would they run the orbit maneuver planning in space when they could do the whole thing comfortably on a simple server PC on earth?

That's a great question, but SpaceX is, apparently, doing much of the processing onboard[1].

[1] https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1081071029897/SpaceX%20Orbital%...

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Re:Scientists create their own GPS by spying on internet sat... by kadonoishi on Wednesday September 29, 2021 @10:54AM (#28694480)
Probably because the purpose of SpaceX is to build a city on Mars, and Starlink is a prototype for a communications and positioning system to be put in place around Mars before there are any facilities on the Martian surface. Remember this is an Elon Musk company.
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Re:Scientists create their own GPS by spying on internet sat... by kadonoishi on Wednesday September 29, 2021 @10:53AM (#28694454)
Probably because the purpose of SpaceX is to build a city on Mars, and Starlink is a prototype for a communications and positioning system to be put in place around Mars before there are any facilities on the Martian surface. Remember this is an Elon Musk company.
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