Until now satellites were relatively isolated and insulated machines, quietly orbiting in space, with only the occasional interaction with space debris and other satellites.
In the coming years new generations of satellites will be launched forming vast constellations which will provide high-speed internet access to remote locations around the world. These satellite constellations consist of networks of tens and hundreds of thousands of connected satellites which will occupy lower earth orbit (LEO).
Source: popularmechanics.com
The most ambitious of these projects is SpaceX' Starlink, which aims to deploy 12,000 satellites by the mid-2020s. When complete, it will be the largest satellite constellation in history. Amazon's Kuiper project is also moving ahead quickly with plans to launch 3,236 satellites by 2029. And China and Europe are both having designs for their own large-scale constellations.
These constellations and their satellites are injected into different orbital planes, constantly connecting to base stations and to receivers on the ground surface, communicating with other satellites, and always moving and maneuvering.
The proliferation of lower earth orbit satellites is a step change compared to first generation networks like Iridium. Their profound impact on society’s connectedness can already be witnessed in the war in the Ukraine.
This all has been made possible by SpaceX's relentless drive to reduce launch cost by orders of magnitude using the Falcon and Starship launch vehicles. In turn, this has created previously unthinkable opportunities for satellites and a wide range of novel engineering opportunities at massive scale.
Per aspera ad astra. 🚀🚀🚀
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