SpaceX and its celebrity-leader, Elon Musk, have a reputation for being fast and first in all manner of technologies — from digital payments to cars, rockets, hyperloops, energy grids, missions to Mars, and now the internet itself.
When it comes to space-based global broadband, however, SpaceX is in second position. The company is kickstarting its Starlink project with 60 satellites.
OneWeb is in cahoots with a European aerospace firm, Airbus. Together, they launched their first six space-based internet satellites in February.
Their goal is to create a web of 600 satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) — that s anywhere up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the ground, but close enough to ensure communication between space and Earth is swift.
In February 2018, SpaceX launched two Starlink tester satellites. Musk said his megaweb of broadband would serve those people who were "least served."
Today s Falcon launch carries 2 SpaceX test satellites for global broadband. If successful, Starlink constellation will serve least served.
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But both Starlink and OneWeb are not alone — such is the philosophy of "progress über alles," especially when there is money to be made.
Sad face.
So we ve got some questions for Musk, his competitors and any other interested parties, which would be all of us, surely, wouldn t it?
First, is there enough space in space for all those satellites?
At last count, there were about 5,000 satellites in LEO. A third of them are dead, inactive, junk. Trash that s been left for another day. A bit like plastic in Earth s own oceans.
And we still have no clear strategy for dealing with this space debris. There are international guidelines and requirements for new launches. But experts admit those guidelines are hard to enforce.
First six OneWeb satellites launched
The problem is, space debris is not only unsustainable junk, but it s also potentially dangerous. The slightest collision between obsolete satellites could knock out our much-prized social media and streaming feeds.
Another sad face.
So, what s the plan? Who s going to pay for it? And who s going to do it?
What about general congestion in LEO?
Some scientists can be cavalier about the question of satellite congestion. They say our roads are congested but the traffic still moves, so why wouldn t it work in space?
Fair point? Not quite.
When cars break down or have accidents on roads, we remove them and clear up the mess. In space, we don t.
