Govt asks Indians to not subscribe to Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink
- November 27, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
Govt asks Indians to not subscribe to Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink
Context: Elon Musk Starlink is ready to provide satellite based internet services in India.
Concept:
What is Starlink?
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX providing satellite Internet access to most of the Earth.The constellation consists of over 1600 satellites in mid-2021, and will eventually consist of many thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with designated ground transceivers. While the technical possibility of satellite internet service covers most of the global population, actual service can be delivered only in countries that have licensed SpaceX to provide service within any specific national jurisdiction. As of November 2021, the beta service offering is available in 20 countries.
Concerns:
- Astronomers have raised concerns about the constellations’ effect on ground-based astronomy and how the satellites will add to an already jammed orbital environment.
- SpaceX has attempted to mitigate these concerns by implementing several upgrades to Starlink satellites aimed at reducing their brightness during operation
- The satellites are equipped with krypton-fueled Hall thrusters which allow them to de-orbit at the end of their life. Additionally, the satellites are designed to autonomously avoid collisions based on uplinked tracking data