> SpaceX plan to turn the internet into an outernet, by routing the majority of data traffic through their Starlink satellites. This should be particularly attractive to global users because a network of interconnected satellites is inherently more secure and faster than conventional fiber internet between continents
As a space engineer this is very wrong, no satellite solution can beat the reliability or throughput of a submarine DWDM fiber. Satellites are vulnerable to solar storms, cosmic radiation, nuclear attacks, jamming and a lot of other external factors while fiber cables are safely buried / submerged, protected against those kind of problems. Except for ship anchors and fiber seeking backhoes.
Another thing is that satellite to ground downlinks are still using RF, which is getting congested. You can work around that by going to optical downlinks to get the speed, and in ideal world you can have DWDM fiber speed that way. But got a cloudy sky and you lose your connection
sidcool · 3h ago
Digression. In my understanding, genie out of the bottle seems like having negative connotation. But the article is positive about Spacex. Am I wrong?
hedora · 3h ago
It’s not just you. I expected the article to compare it to Tesla’s trajectory, where they proved out the hard part of the technology (batteries vs reusable craft), but then faltered after a dozen other companies followed their playbook, but had better product instincts.
The current administration forced Europe to invest heavily in aerospace, and they’re doing just that. SpaceX’s approach to R&D is reproducible. They have a 10 year head start, but that’s not a huge amount of time when the goal is colonizing the solar system.
cryptoz · 3h ago
I don’t think the expression is positive or negative. It just means we can’t go back. I guess that could be positive or negative case by case depending on how you feel about going back or not.
The confetti is out of the canon.
ggm · 5h ago
I don't understand the ballistic cargo story. It implies forward staging and a presence is being deprecated for some kind of rapid injection force response. But, that is a change in posture from prevention to reaction.
Isn't that actually less effective strategically?
Sure, for the "international rescue" Thunderbird puppets world, it's great. We all know it's not about rescuing little Timmy stuck down a mineshaft.
rasz · 3h ago
Yes its pretty stupid. Works only against non nuclear adversaries, and after Budapest Memorandum fiasco this ship has sailed.
As a space engineer this is very wrong, no satellite solution can beat the reliability or throughput of a submarine DWDM fiber. Satellites are vulnerable to solar storms, cosmic radiation, nuclear attacks, jamming and a lot of other external factors while fiber cables are safely buried / submerged, protected against those kind of problems. Except for ship anchors and fiber seeking backhoes.
Another thing is that satellite to ground downlinks are still using RF, which is getting congested. You can work around that by going to optical downlinks to get the speed, and in ideal world you can have DWDM fiber speed that way. But got a cloudy sky and you lose your connection
The current administration forced Europe to invest heavily in aerospace, and they’re doing just that. SpaceX’s approach to R&D is reproducible. They have a 10 year head start, but that’s not a huge amount of time when the goal is colonizing the solar system.
The confetti is out of the canon.
Isn't that actually less effective strategically?
Sure, for the "international rescue" Thunderbird puppets world, it's great. We all know it's not about rescuing little Timmy stuck down a mineshaft.