Elon Musk wants to bring Internet to the whole world via 700 small satellites

According to sources, Tesla and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk is looking to bring Internet to even the most remote areas of the world via 700 small satellites.

Supposedly, Musk is in talks with Florida and Colorado officials in efforts to construct a satellite factory. Musk is working with ex-Googler Greg Wyler, who led Google's satellite division and now runs WorldVu Satellites, a company that owns part of the radio spectrum used for satellite Internet.

There has never been a fleet so large, but the satellites are small and will weigh under 250 pounds each. Each satellite will cost under $1 million to produce, and SpaceX would use their rockets to release the satellites into orbit.

Musk and Wyler are not the first to make such plans, but they may be the closest. Google and Facebook have also announced plans to use balloons, drones or satellites to get Internet to remote areas.

Source:
Om

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 9 Nov 2014 21:22

scorpNZ

Yep that's what we need even more space junk for aliens to navigate past as they're coming & going,on their exploratory visits,not to mention the not too infrequent rocket launches

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10.11.2014 01:14 #1

bhetrick

Originally posted by scorpNZ: Yep that's what we need even more space junk for aliens to navigate past as they're coming & going,on their exploratory visits,not to mention the not too infrequent rocket launches What? No way, it's an absolutely BRILLIANT idea.

Think about it; what alien species is going to bother to attack and invade a planet who's orbit looks like a white trash trailer park?

10.11.2014 11:06 #2

scorpNZ

hehehehe

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10.11.2014 11:26 #3

hearme0

Yeah........cause all those aborigines bushmen need internet while out in the bush.

10.11.2014 15:21 #4

Mrguss

I like the idea.
In special: To expose the Corrupt Governments of the world on the fly.
Like:
Mexico Narco-State
Israel Terrorist-State
etc.

Live Free or Die.
The rule above all the rules is: Survive !
Capitalism: Funnel most of the $$$ to the already rich.

10.11.2014 16:12 #5

DarthMopar

Originally posted by bhetrick: Originally posted by scorpNZ: Yep that's what we need even more space junk for aliens to navigate past as they're coming & going,on their exploratory visits,not to mention the not too infrequent rocket launches What? No way, it's an absolutely BRILLIANT idea.

Think about it; what alien species is going to bother to attack and invade a planet who's orbit looks like a white trash trailer park? Best internet quote of the day. lol

11.11.2014 10:00 #6

VidJunkie

Okay, so he puts 700 cheap satellites in orbit. Does he think they're just going to stay in perfectly in orbit, with no orbit adjusting maneuvers? Will they manage their battery charge/discharge cycles autonomously? Will their on-board clocks never drift? The complexity of managing a satellite in orbit does not scale down with their size, nor does it become easier because you have 700 of them in orbit. Now remove the on-orbit satellite management issues and consider this, you have 700 servers on a WAN providing internet service to the entire world. But these servers are locked away somewhere and cannot be reached to service them. I guess he'll need spares to replace ones that fail; but he'll have to get the bad ones out of the way and the new ones in place (there's that maneuver thing again). I believe that the cost and complexity of managing 700 satellites in orbit, and keeping their mission operating is far beyond the revenue potential from bringing the internet to those stragglers who don't already have it now. So, maybe he just wants to do it for fun?

Anyone can see the future, ...if they wait long enough.

13.11.2014 18:36 #7

ChappyTTV

Originally posted by VidJunkie: Okay, so he puts 700 cheap satellites in orbit. Does he think they're just going to stay in perfectly in orbit, with no orbit adjusting maneuvers? Will they manage their battery charge/discharge cycles autonomously? Will their on-board clocks never drift? The complexity of managing a satellite in orbit does not scale down with their size, nor does it become easier because you have 700 of them in orbit. Now remove the on-orbit satellite management issues and consider this, you have 700 servers on a WAN providing internet service to the entire world. But these servers are locked away somewhere and cannot be reached to service them. I guess he'll need spares to replace ones that fail; but he'll have to get the bad ones out of the way and the new ones in place (there's that maneuver thing again). I believe that the cost and complexity of managing 700 satellites in orbit, and keeping their mission operating is far beyond the revenue potential from bringing the internet to those stragglers who don't already have it now. So, maybe he just wants to do it for fun? You don't think that orbital maneuvering isn't already calculated into the system by the time they're designed and being manufactured, or that their management won't be completely thought out? To move 250 lbs in low Earth orbit takes very little reactionary force and as with most satellites, they'll be solar powered and with enough money you could manage a fleet of 7000 if you wanted.
The servers won't be on the satellites themselves VidJunkie, these are merely signal relay stations.
Obviously, these guys are smart enough to do a cost/market evaluation, I highly doubt they'd consider a project of this scale if there weren't a fairly large return expected.

18.11.2014 17:45 #8

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