SpaceX submitted a supplement for the 30 day STA (SES-STA-2023-1201-02496). It appears they are waiting for the STA to be approved prior to the first launch. Antenna checkout the FCC authorized in the partial license grant is not enough.QuoteSpaceX is excited to begin launching and testing its innovative new direct-to-cellularcapabilities, which will bring ubiquitous connectivity to consumers throughout the country andaround the world. Perhaps the most critical part of this testing will occur in the first few weeksafter launch, when SpaceX will assess the initial functionality of its direct-to-cellular antennas.These robust initial check-out tests align with well-established space sustainability best practicesthat the Commission has repeatedly found in the public interest.To swiftly identify and respond to issues as they arise, these initial check-out tests requireflexibility, including the ability to test from a variety of locations and using a diversity of devices.1Geographic flexibility will enable SpaceX personnel to conduct check-out tests as the satellitesphase across the sky in their early orbits, moving ground equipment as necessary for each satellitepass or in the event of difficulties at any particular location. Each type of ground device will alsoplay a unique and essential role in the initial check-out testing. For example, the link-testingdevices will aid reliable satellite contact during the initial post-deployment period. The cellularprobes will help ensure that the satellite phased array hardware and software are functioning well.And standard cell phones will help determine whether the satellite antenna is functioning asintended using those devices’ unique modems and off-the-shelf specifications. Together, thesedevices will allow SpaceX to conduct a thorough suite of check-out tests that are necessary toensure initial functionality of the satellite antenna.
SpaceX is excited to begin launching and testing its innovative new direct-to-cellularcapabilities, which will bring ubiquitous connectivity to consumers throughout the country andaround the world. Perhaps the most critical part of this testing will occur in the first few weeksafter launch, when SpaceX will assess the initial functionality of its direct-to-cellular antennas.These robust initial check-out tests align with well-established space sustainability best practicesthat the Commission has repeatedly found in the public interest.To swiftly identify and respond to issues as they arise, these initial check-out tests requireflexibility, including the ability to test from a variety of locations and using a diversity of devices.1Geographic flexibility will enable SpaceX personnel to conduct check-out tests as the satellitesphase across the sky in their early orbits, moving ground equipment as necessary for each satellitepass or in the event of difficulties at any particular location. Each type of ground device will alsoplay a unique and essential role in the initial check-out testing. For example, the link-testingdevices will aid reliable satellite contact during the initial post-deployment period. The cellularprobes will help ensure that the satellite phased array hardware and software are functioning well.And standard cell phones will help determine whether the satellite antenna is functioning asintended using those devices’ unique modems and off-the-shelf specifications. Together, thesedevices will allow SpaceX to conduct a thorough suite of check-out tests that are necessary toensure initial functionality of the satellite antenna.
Thinking about Starlink D2D, does anyone know or have a good guess as to how accurately a signal can be located? If someone in the wilderness texts “help, my arm is stuck in a rock fissure,” and then drops the phone? Or does not know where they are? Will for sure be a lifesaver in any case.
Quote from: matthewkantar on 12/14/2023 07:25 pmThinking about Starlink D2D, does anyone know or have a good guess as to how accurately a signal can be located? If someone in the wilderness texts “help, my arm is stuck in a rock fissure,” and then drops the phone? Or does not know where they are? Will for sure be a lifesaver in any case.All smartphones have GPS receivers. There is no "Radiolocation System required". The salient point is that you want a lot of satellites overhead in order to have very high look angles to provide service in canyons and gorges.
Quote from: raptorx2 on 12/14/2023 07:29 pmQuote from: matthewkantar on 12/14/2023 07:25 pmThinking about Starlink D2D, does anyone know or have a good guess as to how accurately a signal can be located? If someone in the wilderness texts “help, my arm is stuck in a rock fissure,” and then drops the phone? Or does not know where they are? Will for sure be a lifesaver in any case.All smartphones have GPS receivers. There is no "Radiolocation System required". The salient point is that you want a lot of satellites overhead in order to have very high look angles to provide service in canyons and gorges.This is related to E911 service related MNO obligations and capabilities. Terrestrial towers do provide some RF triangulation services via tower detection if I remember correctly, where the terminal/phone can be pinged but they don't need the phone do anything in particular (IoT or dumbphones are not guaranteed to have self location capability). I think some smartphones do have enhanced capability to cooperate on ranging or send device determined position data to the MNO. I would guess Starlink would have to feed equivalent triangulation data or E911 data to their MNO partner gateway for E911 support (converting 3D to 2D coordinates)?
Are the six of 21 satellites still V2 Mini? Or a new model?Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/14/2023 11:14 pmhttps://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-7-9Quote<snip>This launch will include the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-7-9Quote<snip>This launch will include the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters.
<snip>This launch will include the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters.
Starlink 7-9:Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/14/2023 11:34 pmAre the six of 21 satellites still V2 Mini? Or a new model?Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 12/14/2023 11:14 pmhttps://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-7-9Quote<snip>This launch will include the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters.
Apologies if this is only confusing to me and obvious to everyone else, but to be clear, it appears that Starlink now has approval to launch its V2 mini with D2D payload on all 7,500 Gen2 satellites. Further, it is allowed to test out all of these payloads for 10 days in a narrow band.
Entel signed on to Starlink Direct-to-Cell for Chile and Peru.https://chocale.cl/2023/12/entel-spacex-starlink-acuerdo-direct-to-cell-en-chile/
Quote from: raptorx2 on 12/09/2023 07:31 pmSo here is my speculative viewpoint on this data.Tranche #1 is already on orbit. The launch from Vandenberg on Friday = brings the total of V2.0 Minis launched to date to the magic number ~840. my opinion, these were launched under the before-mentioned "German licensed payload" authority noted in their original Dec. 2022 FCC [D2D] filing. These Tranche #1 [D2D payloads] are not subject to FCC authority, there is no "US Market Entry" for these Tranche #1 payloads.. These will be operated in International Markets Only.Now, they have completed Tranche #1 German licensed payloads, now they must launch (due to FCC rules and lease requirements) another Tranche #2 that is more or less duplicative of Tranche #1 that is US-flagged to provide service to the US AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS approved by the FCC.If anyone believes that it has taken SpaceX more then 15 months to design and build a [D2D} "2 way messaging/messaging app" capable satellite, while Lynks is doing [D2D] Messaging and Voice from what is effectively a Cube Sat. Then I will say they are either crazy, or SpaceX is incompetent.If what you describe as Tranche #1 includes a German-licensed payload, I suspect that it is rudimentary. The F9-3 configuration is a full 170 kg more than the F9-2 V2 mini configuration and has an almost double bus length. That said, I recognize that even a rudimentary payload could be useful.More than 15 months is a long time for SpaceX and Swarm Technologies, but we are talking about designing, manufacturing, and integrating a phased array with custom silicon. Meanwhile, one-half of the D2D leadership (Ben Longmier) was on a crash course to design and manufacture the argon thrusters for the V2 satellites. I would forgive a bit of lag time to introduce.
So here is my speculative viewpoint on this data.Tranche #1 is already on orbit. The launch from Vandenberg on Friday = brings the total of V2.0 Minis launched to date to the magic number ~840. my opinion, these were launched under the before-mentioned "German licensed payload" authority noted in their original Dec. 2022 FCC [D2D] filing. These Tranche #1 [D2D payloads] are not subject to FCC authority, there is no "US Market Entry" for these Tranche #1 payloads.. These will be operated in International Markets Only.Now, they have completed Tranche #1 German licensed payloads, now they must launch (due to FCC rules and lease requirements) another Tranche #2 that is more or less duplicative of Tranche #1 that is US-flagged to provide service to the US AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS approved by the FCC.If anyone believes that it has taken SpaceX more then 15 months to design and build a [D2D} "2 way messaging/messaging app" capable satellite, while Lynks is doing [D2D] Messaging and Voice from what is effectively a Cube Sat. Then I will say they are either crazy, or SpaceX is incompetent.
Quote from: RedLineTrain on 12/09/2023 09:03 pmQuote from: raptorx2 on 12/09/2023 07:31 pmSo here is my speculative viewpoint on this data.Tranche #1 is already on orbit. The launch from Vandenberg on Friday = brings the total of V2.0 Minis launched to date to the magic number ~840. my opinion, these were launched under the before-mentioned "German licensed payload" authority noted in their original Dec. 2022 FCC [D2D] filing. These Tranche #1 [D2D payloads] are not subject to FCC authority, there is no "US Market Entry" for these Tranche #1 payloads.. These will be operated in International Markets Only.Now, they have completed Tranche #1 German licensed payloads, now they must launch (due to FCC rules and lease requirements) another Tranche #2 that is more or less duplicative of Tranche #1 that is US-flagged to provide service to the US AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL MARKETS approved by the FCC.If anyone believes that it has taken SpaceX more then 15 months to design and build a [D2D} "2 way messaging/messaging app" capable satellite, while Lynks is doing [D2D] Messaging and Voice from what is effectively a Cube Sat. Then I will say they are either crazy, or SpaceX is incompetent.If what you describe as Tranche #1 includes a German-licensed payload, I suspect that it is rudimentary. The F9-3 configuration is a full 170 kg more than the F9-2 V2 mini configuration and has an almost double bus length. That said, I recognize that even a rudimentary payload could be useful.More than 15 months is a long time for SpaceX and Swarm Technologies, but we are talking about designing, manufacturing, and integrating a phased array with custom silicon. Meanwhile, one-half of the D2D leadership (Ben Longmier) was on a crash course to design and manufacture the argon thrusters for the V2 satellites. I would forgive a bit of lag time to introduce.Words matter. Remember, Starlink D2D introduction. Texting/SMS only available H2 2024. Voice, Data, IoT available 2025.From the SpaceX 7-9 mission page.*********************"SpaceX is targeting Saturday, December 30 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 7:17 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 11:16 p.m. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Tuesday, January 2 starting at 6:13 p.m. PT.A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about fifteen minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.This is the first flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.This launch will include the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters."So perhaps NOT the first Direct to Cell satellites with capabilities that will enable texting/messaging only.V2.0 Mini's (D2D text only) 840 is now on orbit for "continuous coverage" +/- 57 degrees.6 months testing and integration, launch service H2 2024.V3.0 Mini's (D2D text, voice, data) 840 on orbit by late Q3 2024, service launch 2025. It appears that the weight of this possible new variant (V3.0 Mini?) is similar to V2.0 Mini?Perhaps they are stripped down D2D-only payloads/ISL's/Feeder Links?
Text messaging support so you can communicate in locations that are not connected. Estimated availability date in December 2024.
Do we have any idea when service with T-Mobile will start?
First look at the new V3 D2D Text, Voice, Data satellites? Compliments direct.starlink.comThose array deployment actuators sure look very similar to those on Group 6-1, 6-2 from last year.
