SpaceX has requested the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow them to orbit their Starlink satellites at a closer distance to Earth. The company believes that this will result in better performance benefits. They had previously requested FCC clearance to orbit second-generation Starlink satellites at a distance of 340 to 360 kilometers from Earth, which is approximately 124 miles below their planned orbits.
On Friday, SpaceX filed the same request for their cellular Starlink satellite system, which will provide connectivity to phones on the ground. If the request is granted, the company will be able to orbit the satellites at 300km in addition to the existing 500km altitudes.
The company
filed the request after a test showed that the company’s first cellular
Starlink satellites were able to deliver 17Mbps download speeds to an Android phone —
all the while orbiting at a distance of 360 kilometers.
“The first launch and initial tests of SpaceX’s
direct-to-cell system have demonstrated the resilience and promise of these
satellites even at low deployment altitudes,” the company says.
Without
elaborating, SpaceX says that operating the satellites at a lower altitude “will come at a significant additional
cost.” Nevertheless, the company wants to orbit the satellites at the 340
to 360km range, saying it’ll improve “space sustainability.” Starlink
satellites can already maneuver away from space debris and other objects to
prevent them from posing an orbital hazard. But the company adds that lowering
the orbits even more can further reduce the collision risks by “as much as an
order of magnitude.”
The other
major benefit is that the lower orbits “will
also shorten the physical link between the ground and the satellite, enabling
lower-latency supplemental coverage service” the company says. “And because the system will operate with
standard cell phone models and cellular devices, it will offer a seamless
solution to the disparate connectivity needs of residential, commercial, and
governmental users,” SpaceX added in the filing.
The
application goes on to describe the lower orbits as a “minor amendment” to
SpaceX’s original application. Still, it’s possible the company’s proposal
could face resistance from rival companies and even NASA. In February 2022, the
space agency was particularly concerned about thousands of Starlink satellites orbiting
below the International Space Station, which circles around the planet at a
distance between 370 to 460km.
“The proposed volume of autonomously maneuvering satellites
directly parked in common phasing altitudes could result in potential loss of
launch/entry opportunities impacting science and utilization for ISS,” NASA said in a letter to the FCC at the time. Meanwhile,
other companies have argued to the FCC that the Starlink technology could
create radio interference with their services.
However,
SpaceX has rebutted such accusations. In the new filing, the company adds: "the proposed amendment would likely
decrease any potential issues for all other systems across the requested
frequency bands."
It’s
important to note the second-generation Starlink system shares overlap with
cellular Starlink tech. That’s because each second-generation Starlink
satellite can be outfitted with a “cellular payload.” In December, the
FCC granted SpaceX the option to place the cellular payload
on all 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites. But the company is still
waiting for final regulatory approval to commercially operate the cellular
Starlink technology to customers.
