What is behind the technology that provides Internet even in Antarctica?
At the SPIE Photonics West event in San Francisco, celebrating the latest advances in optics and light, SpaceX engineer Travis Brashers revealed data about the Starlink system. According to him, the system processes more than 42 petabytes of data for users every day, which is equivalent to 42 million gigabytes.
SpaceX technology plays a key role in providing high-speed Internet through the Starlink satellite system, especially in places where SpaceX ground stations are not available, such as over the ocean or in Antarctica. The satellite-to-satellite laser communication system, which provides a 100 Gbit/s connection on each channel, allows satellites to transmit data between themselves within the Earth's orbit, forming a single space network.
Brashers noted that the system demonstrates high reliability, even though the equipment is located on board thousands of Starlink satellites constantly orbiting the Earth. Despite technical problems, the company has reached the level of efficiency of the laser communication line of more than 99%. The satellites form about 266,141 laser connections per day, sometimes maintaining communication for weeks and reaching data transfer speeds of up to 200 Gbit / s.
One notable achievement is the establishment of communication between two satellites at a distance of more than 5,400 kilometers. Interesting fact: communication was maintained even when the satellite was lowered to an altitude of up to 122 kilometers above the Earth's surface, which allowed transmitting video data.
Brashers also showed how the system can deliver data to the Starlink antenna in Antarctica via 7 different paths, with the ability to dynamically change routes in milliseconds. This ability ensures the stability of communication at the level of 99.99%.
At the SPIE Photonics West event in San Francisco, celebrating the latest advances in optics and light, SpaceX engineer Travis Brashers revealed data about the Starlink system. According to him, the system processes more than 42 petabytes of data for users every day, which is equivalent to 42 million gigabytes.
SpaceX technology plays a key role in providing high-speed Internet through the Starlink satellite system, especially in places where SpaceX ground stations are not available, such as over the ocean or in Antarctica. The satellite-to-satellite laser communication system, which provides a 100 Gbit/s connection on each channel, allows satellites to transmit data between themselves within the Earth's orbit, forming a single space network.
Brashers noted that the system demonstrates high reliability, even though the equipment is located on board thousands of Starlink satellites constantly orbiting the Earth. Despite technical problems, the company has reached the level of efficiency of the laser communication line of more than 99%. The satellites form about 266,141 laser connections per day, sometimes maintaining communication for weeks and reaching data transfer speeds of up to 200 Gbit / s.
One notable achievement is the establishment of communication between two satellites at a distance of more than 5,400 kilometers. Interesting fact: communication was maintained even when the satellite was lowered to an altitude of up to 122 kilometers above the Earth's surface, which allowed transmitting video data.
Brashers also showed how the system can deliver data to the Starlink antenna in Antarctica via 7 different paths, with the ability to dynamically change routes in milliseconds. This ability ensures the stability of communication at the level of 99.99%.
