The SpaceX satellite development facility, located in Redmond, Washington, is a SpaceX office developing a new, low-cost, high-performance satellite bus to be used to implement a new space-based internet communication system. The facility was announced by SpaceX in January 2015, stating that the communication satellite network would be capable of supporting the bandwidth to carry up to 50 percent of all backhaul communications traffic and up to 10 percent of local internet traffic in high-density cities. SpaceX has plans to also sell satellites that use the same satellite bus, satellites that might be used for scientific or exploratory purposes.
As of January 2015, the Seattle-area office planned to initially hire approximately 60 engineers, with the potential to increase to 1000 people in the next several years. There were 45 open positions in October 2015.
The company plans to have two test prototypes flying in 2016, and have the initial satellite constellation in orbit and operational by approximately 2020.
Internet business opportunity
Two space entrepreneurs announced internet satellite ventures in the same week. In addition to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announcing this project, serial-entrepreneur Richard Branson announced an investment in OneWeb, a similar constellation with approximately 700 satellites that has already procured communication frequency licenses for their broadcast spectrum.
After the failure of previous satellite-to-consumer space ventures, satellite industry consultant Roger Rusch said "It's highly unlikely that you can make a successful business out of this."
In February 2015, Financial analysts questioned established geosynchronous orbit communications satellite fleet operators as to how they intend to respond to the competitive threat of SpaceX/Google and OneWeb LEO communication satellites. By July 2015, of SpaceX and OneWeb, only OneWeb have announced firm plans to scale up their laboratory development work to manufacturing-scale facilities, funding and launch contracts. In October, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell indicated that while development continues the business case for the long-term rollout of an operational satellite network is still in an early phase.
Satellite Internet For Business Video
Internet communication satellite characteristics
The internet communication satellites are expected to be in the smallsat-class of 100-to-500 kg (220-to-1,100 lb)-mass, which are intended to be orbiting at an altitude of approximately 1,100 kilometers (680 mi). Initial plans as of January 2015 are for the constellation to be made up of approximately 4000 cross-linked satellites, more than twice as many operational satellites as are in orbit in January 2015.
The satellites would be mass-produced, at much lower cost per unit of capability than existing satellites. Musk said "We're going to try and do for satellites what we've done for rockets." "In order to revolutionize space, we have to address both satellites and rockets." "Smaller satellites are crucial to lowering the cost of space-based Internet and communications."
In February 2015, SpaceX asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider future innovative uses of the Ka-band spectrum before the FCC commits to 5G communications regulations that would create barriers to entry, since SpaceX is a new entrant to the satellite communications market. The SpaceX non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) communications satellite constellation will operate in the high frequency bands above 24 GHz, "where steerable earth station transmit antennas would have a wider geographic impact and significantly lower satellite altitudes magnify the impact of aggregate interference from terrestrial transmissions."
The system will not compete with Iridium satellite constellation, which is designed to link directly to handsets. Instead, it will be linked to flat user terminals the size of a pizza box, which will have phased array antennas and track the satellites. The terminals can be mounted anywhere, as long as they can see the sky.
In July 2015, Musk said that the constellation is still in the early planning stages and that SpaceX is being careful not to overextend the company with the project. SpaceX hopes to launch a test satellite in 2016.
Prototype development and testing
SpaceX will begin flight testing of their satellite technologies in 2016, with the planned launch of two test satellites, MicroSat-1a and MicroSat-1b. The sats will fly in a circular low Earth orbit at 625 kilometers (388 mi) altitude in a high-inclination orbit for a planned six to twelve-month duration. The sats will communicate with three testing ground stations in Washington and California for short-term experiments of less than ten minutes duration, roughly daily.
MicroSat-1a and 1b will be the first of up to eight prototype sats to be flown before deployment of the operational constellation begins.
Competition
In addition to the OneWeb constellation, announced nearly concurrently with the SpaceX constellation, a 2015 proposal from Samsung has outlined a 4600-satellite constellation orbiting at 1,400 kilometers (900 mi) that could bring 200 gigabytes per month of internet data to "each of the world's 5 billion people". However, this proposal has not yet advanced to full development.
Are You Looking for Products
Here some products related to "SpaceX Satellite Development Facility".
Grace Digital Wireless In..
Amazon.com : Toshiba Sate..
Wilson Electronics - 4601..
Wilson Electronics DB Pro..
Get these at Amazon.com* amzn.to is official short URL for Amazon.com, provided by Bitly
Source of the article : here
EmoticonEmoticon