Everyone knows the Starlink internet satellites of Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. In fact, what will these satellites, which is an important topic of discussion in the world, bring to us and what will they take away?
SpaceX is a private company that has made a name for itself in recent years. Many countries started launching their satellites into space. The first phase of the rocket can return to Earth and land on its feet. This stage of the rocket carries 9 rocket engines and is the most expensive part. It can be reused up to 10 times after a little maintenance. With this technology, Elon Musk began to take the job of other launch companies. SpaceX didn’t stop with the rocket business, it also got into the satellite business.
The company announced the Starlink project in 2015. It announced that it will launch 40,000 satellites into earth orbit and provide internet service. After obtaining FCC permissions, it started to launch satellites with a mass between 250-300 kg. As of April 2022, it has close to 1500 satellites in orbit. It plans to provide internet service especially to rural areas of the world.
According to OECD data, the rate of internet access in rural areas of the world is around 37%. Internet is not available all over the world. The idea is good, but the project has many dangers in terms of its results.
This project has received many criticisms considering the number of satellites launched. While space debris is already increasing, these satellites will pollute space even more. Even if they act in accordance with the current legislation, launching so many satellites will bring about many problems. For example, this many satellites may cause Kessler syndrome in a short time.
According to this scenario, the debris formed by satellites and satellite parts in earth orbit will reach such a point that it will make space completely unusable. Imagine that each piece is moving at a speed of 6-7 km/second. It is sometimes impossible to detect and take precautions at moving parts at these speeds. If the piece is 10 cm or smaller, detection by radar systems is difficult. If it is large, escape calculation can be made. Remember the movie Gravity. Although the movie is an exaggeration, it is important in terms of explaining the concept.
There are other problems in space. 40 of the 49 satellites launched by Space X on February 3, 2022, burned down due to geomagnetic storms from the sun. Since this storm increased atmospheric drag, the satellites entered the atmosphere and burned up in a very short time. Earth is protected from this wind due to its magnetic field.
In addition, it is thought that these observations will be affected due to the light pollution caused by the Starlink satellites while the world of astronomy is watching the space from the world. Sometimes when we look at the sky, we can see the Starlink satellite train even with the naked eye.
Companies such as OneWeb, Telesat and Amazon, which want to provide similar internet services, are not provided with the same convenience in terms of permission. Are Starlink satellites also used as intelligence satellites?
Such projects have entered the agenda of a few companies in America and have caused other countries to initiate similar projects. For example, Russia announced that it will commission the new generation satellites Sfera (meaning globe) in 2018. Within the scope of this project, over 600 satellites will be launched to provide communication, navigation and remote sensing services. GalaxySpace in China announced last year that it would implement a similar project with 1000 satellites.
At this point, there is no limit on the number of satellites launched neither in the space agreements signed by the UN nor in the domestic law of the countries. Therefore, this race is going to a more dangerous point for future generations.
In addition, how will control be provided in the countries it serves? India has stated that Starlink satellites need to obtain a license for the service they provide in their own country. If he doesn’t, what kind of obstruction will there be?
Internet is one of the most effective media tools today. How can it be explained that Starlink satellites were closed to Russia and opened to Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war? In addition, countries impose some filtering on internet traffic. How will regulation be made in these services?
In short, the Starlink project is more than a project that the Space X company set out to generate income.
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