Hello from the studios at Pascual Bravo University Over the next decade, we will see more satellites put into orbit around the Earth than all the satellites launched since Sputnik 1 in 1957. It is projected that as many as 46,000 new satellites will be launched in the next few years. That’s more than five times the amount of objects sent to space in the past 60 years! So, who is sending all these satellites up into space, and why? The major players are Elon Musk and his SpaceX Starlink project,
a San Francisco based telecommunications company called OneWeb, Google and Amazon. Their stated purpose: to bring internet access to every corner of the world. In 2020, the number of internet users worldwide stood at 3.97 billion, which means that roughly half of the global population is currently not connected to the world wide web. And of those 3.97 billion users, only about 3% receive their internet from satellites. The SpaceX Starlink project makes use of its reusable Falcon 9 rockets to red
uce the costs of launching the satellites. The US Air Force is already testing Starlink satellites on their aircraft, reporting early favorable results. Additionally, SpaceX is also looking to set up and operate about 1 million “earth stations” as a key component to connecting the satellites to the ground. But while it will likely require billions of dollars to create the infrastructure for Starlink, the company is optimistic on its potential demand and revenue. The Starlink project is estimatin
g that revenues will be around $30 billion a year. Amazon’s e-commerce giant is also developing its own mega-constellation. Unlike SpaceX, Amazon has yet to launch a satellite, but it’s seeking regulatory approval for its network, which would include an initial launch of 3,236 satellites. Though it is behind on building satellites, Amazon already has a headstart on ground infrastructure. The company is building 12 satellite facilities around the world to provide the vital link needed. Amazon is
looking at this as a long-term project that envisions serving tens of millions of people who lack basic access to broadband internet. They will also be partnering with thousands of local companies on this initiative intended to transmit data to and from satellites in orbit. I am Gary Vernier and this has been a Pascual Bravo English documentary. Until next time, good luck with English.
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