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1. Space X’s 60 Starlink satellite launch goes off
(Liftoff! Photo by K. Scott Piel, via Reddit)
The much awaited Space X launch of 60 Starlink satellites to provide a new source of broadband across the globe went off last night seemingly without a hitch, as Elon Musk and the Space X team tweeted their delight.
- Here’s the full 1 hour 20 minute launch video, with liftoff at about the 13m 55s mark, and satellite deployment at about 1h 17m.
- We saw a successful Falcon 9 launch, correct deployment of the Starlink satellites in orbit, and the safe touchdown and landing of the Falcon 9 first-stage rocket, and capture of the fairing halves too.
- Or, as a remarkable and accurate headline from Space.com summed it up: “SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites on thrice-flown rocket, sticks landing”.
- That’s not a bad day – and not just for Musk and Space X but for the world.
Here’s what we learned:
- The Starlink satellites were deployed (video) at an altitude of 440km, fanning out like a deck of cards, per the Space X webcast. The solar panels will then deploy, onboard propulsion will activate to boost each Starlink to an operational altitude of 550km.
- Each “flatellite” propelled itself into correct orbit positioning via electric propulsion – a system designed to expel electrically charged atoms of krypton to provide thrust. Which sounds a little superman, but has been used in space since the 1960s.
- All satellites came online about an hour after deployment.
- The Falcon 9 first stage touched down successfully on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It marked the company’s 40th booster recovery.
- We also saw a better view of the flatpacked satellites, each of which weighs 500 lbs or 227 kg, packing two solar arrays.
- Last week we found out that the cost to launch each Starlink is more than the cost to make the satellite, which explains the enormity of the project.
- SpaceX plans to launch nearly 12,000 of these satellites.
- Six further rocket flights will have to take place before minor broadband coverage is achieved, Musk says a dozen launches are required for moderate coverage.
- What next? All 60 must reach the correct altitude and become fully operational, then testing, then more satellites.
- We’ll keep you up to date!
2. Snapchat employees abused data access to spy on users for years using “SnapLion” tool, raising enormous questions considering typical Snapchat content (Motherboard).
3. WhatsApp confirms Status Ads are coming in 2020 (AA).
4. Apple removes original Clicker Heroes game after Chinese company allegedly cloned, trademarked, requested takedown (r/apple).
5. New Samsung deepfake AI could fabricate a video clip of you from a single photo (CNET).
6. Rotten Tomatoes is fighting review bombing by now only allowing reviews from users with a verified ticket (Rotten Tomatoes). Fighting the trolls, whack-a-mole style.
7. After two years, the cause of the mysterious neurological symptoms reported by dozens of US staff in Cuba remains unknown (NY Times)
8. AT&T now accepts cryptocurrency to pay bills, and it’s probably a bad idea (The Next Web).
9. 5 upcoming shows on HBO that could be better than Game of Thrones (AA).
10. “When we say “Everest is crowded,” this is what we mean” (Outside Online).
11. NASA officially orders its first segment of a lunar space station: “This time when we go to the Moon, we’re actually going to stay.” (Ars Technica).
12. Get The Sims 4 free, right now. EA’s giving it away via Origin, instead of $40 (CNET)
13. “Archaeologists of Reddit, what are some latest discoveries that the masses have no idea of?” (r/askreddit).
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