One step closer to 40000 small targets: SpaceX launches the 25th batch of satellite chains

北京时间周四上午11点44分（美国东部时间周三晚上11点44分），SpaceX Falcon 9号从佛罗里达州卡纳维拉尔角空军基地的slc-40发射了第25批60颗Starlink卫星。

At 11:44 a.m. Beijing time on Thursday (11:44 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday), SpaceX Falcon 9 launched its 25th batch of 60 Starlink satellites from slc-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force base, Florida.

这次任务是猎鹰9号B 1060助推器的第七次发射。截至目前，SpaceX已向太空发射了1505颗卫星，在轨卫星1434颗，距离4.2万颗的目标又近了一小步。

This mission is the seventh launch of Falcon 9 booster B 1060. Up to now, SpaceX has launched 1505 satellites into space, with 1434 satellites in orbit, a small step closer to the target of 42000.

（来源：SpaceX）

(source: SpaceX)

SpaceX公司总裁格温恩·肖特韦尔（Gwynne shotwell）早些时候表示，第28批卫星发射成功后，SpaceX将实现"全球全连接"。

Gwynne shotwell, President of SpaceX, said earlier that SpaceX would be "fully connected globally" after the successful launch of the 28th batch of satellites.

"猎鹰9号"火箭助推器先后发射了美国航天部队的GPS III卫星、土耳其的土耳其卫星5A卫星和SpaceX公司的4颗"星链"任务。SpaceX这次仍在计划恢复它。当它从太空返回时，预计将在大西洋的一艘名为"刚刚阅读指令"的无人自动助推器回收船上着陆。

The rocket booster of Falcon 9 has launched GPS III satellite of us space force, turksat 5A satellite of Turkey and four "star chain" missions of SpaceX. SpaceX is still planning to recover it this time. It is expected to land on an unmanned automatic booster recovery ship named "just read the instruction" in the Atlantic Ocean when it returns from space.

（来源：SpaceX）

(source: SpaceX)

SpaceX的卫星链计划在第一阶段由4408颗卫星组成。该公司的卫星设计是一个平板，这使得SpaceX能够将它们紧凑地堆放在猎鹰9号火箭5.2米宽的有效载荷整流罩中。这些卫星装备了先进的技术和设备，包括4根相控阵天线和2根抛物面天线，实现低延迟、高带宽的通信。

SpaceX's satellite chain is planned to consist of 4408 satellites in the first phase. The company's satellite design is a flat plate, which allows SpaceX to stack them compactly in the 5.2m wide payload fairing of the Falcon 9 rocket. These satellites are equipped with advanced technology and equipment, including four phased array antennas and two parabolic antennas, to achieve low delay and high bandwidth communication.

图| 60颗Starlink卫星在部署前环绕地球运行的太空照片（图片来源：SpaceX）

Fig. | space photos of 60 Starlink satellites orbiting the earth before deployment (source: SpaceX)

SpaceX卫星链配有"卫星跟踪器"和自动避碰系统。前者可以检测卫星的高度和位置，保证宽带连接的准确性；后者利用美国国防部的碎片跟踪数据库预测并避免与其他航天器或空间碎片发生碰撞。

SpaceX satellite chain is equipped with "satellite tracker" and automatic collision avoidance system. The former can detect the height and position of the satellite to ensure the accuracy of broadband connection; The latter uses the U.S. Department of Defense's debris tracking database to predict and avoid collisions with other spacecraft or space debris.

SpaceX此前已向联邦通信委员会（FCC）提交了近200份申请，要求其下一批2814颗卫星在较低轨道运行。4月27日，FCC批准了SpaceX的变轨申请。

SpaceX has previously submitted nearly 200 applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for its next 2814 satellites to operate in lower orbits. On April 27, the FCC approved SpaceX's application for orbit change.

公开资料显示，FCC允许SpaceX将接下来的2814颗卫星从原计划的1100-1300公里轨道移至540-570公里的近地轨道。这与该公司正在运行的1300多颗卫星的轨道范围大致相同。

According to public information, the FCC allowed SpaceX to move the next 2814 satellites from the originally planned orbit of 1100-1300 km to the low earth orbit of 540-570 km. This is roughly the same as the orbit range of the company's more than 1300 satellites in operation.

FCC通过该决议被媒体视为埃隆·马斯克不断发展宽带网络的又一胜利。在这场"胜利"中，亚马逊、viasat等竞争对手也不例外地充满了反对声音。

The FCC's adoption of the resolution is seen by the media as another victory for Elon Musk's continuous development of broadband networks. In this "victory", there is no exception filled with opposition from Amazon, viasat and other competitors.

反对意见包括SpaceX的行为将增加电磁干扰，卫星碰撞和轨道碎片的概率也将增加。

The objections include that SpaceX's behavior will increase electromagnetic interference, and the probability of satellite collision and orbital debris will also increase.

联邦通信委员会一般拒绝了这些反对意见，并指出："根据我们的审查，我们认为，对SpaceX的修改可以改善用户体验，包括对极地地区的服务，这些服务通常不包括在内。此外，我们得出结论，在较低高度运行的卫星有利于减少轨道碎片。根据委员会此前的评估，SpaceX的改动不会造成严重的干扰问题。"

The FCC generally rejected the objections, noting: "based on our review, we believe that the changes to SpaceX can improve the user experience, including services to polar regions that are often not covered. In addition, we conclude that satellites operating at lower altitudes are conducive to reducing orbital debris. According to the committee's previous assessment, SpaceX's changes will not cause serious interference problems. "

Viasat等公司认为，Starlink卫星的故障率非常高，这可能会增加太空事故的风险。

Viasat and other companies believe that the failure rate of Starlink satellite is very high, which may increase the risk of space accidents.

FCC指出，SpaceX的卫星故障率是一个有争议的重要问题，并提到SpaceX、viasat等公司近几个月来已就此问题多次发表声明。据SpaceX报道，FCC称该公司的"处理失败率"为1.45%，最近发射的723颗卫星中（截至2021年2月中旬）有720颗已投入使用。

The FCC pointed out that the satellite failure rate of SpaceX is an important controversial issue, and mentioned that SpaceX, viasat and other companies have made several declarations on this issue in recent months. According to SpaceX, the FCC said the company's "processing failure rate" was 1.45%, and 720 of the last 723 satellites launched (as of mid February 2021) were operational.

"SpaceX必须保持其卫星处理的高可靠性，这可以降低卫星相撞的风险，"FCC说，作为通过决议的条件，SpaceX需要提交半年报告，提供卫星空间事故的数量，需要机动以避免碰撞的事件数量，以及公司处理的卫星数量。如果在任何一年内发生三次或三次以上的处理失败，SpaceX还必须提交一份报告。

"It is essential for SpaceX to maintain the high reliability of its satellite processing, which can reduce the risk of satellite collision," the FCC said As a condition for the adoption of the resolution, SpaceX needs to submit a semi annual report to provide the number of satellite space accidents, the number of events requiring maneuver to avoid collision, and the number of satellites handled by the company. If three or more processing failures occur in any one year, SpaceX must also submit a report.

联邦通信委员会认为，这项决议将使SpaceX能够改变其卫星部署的更安全方向，以便在美国各地提供宽带服务，包括现有网络服务不足或无法到达的偏远地区。"

The FCC believes that this resolution will enable SpaceX to change its deployment of satellites in a more secure direction, so as to provide broadband services throughout the United States, including remote areas where existing network services are inadequate or unable to reach. "

目前，SpaceX已经向普通用户提供了网络业务测试资质。接收和发送信号的设备是499美元，月费是99美元。SpaceX承诺下载速度为50-150mb/s。

At present, SpaceX has provided network service test qualification to ordinary users. The equipment for receiving and sending signals is $499 and the monthly fee is $99. SpaceX promises a download speed of 50-150mb / s.

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参考资源：

reference resources:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/

https://www.spacex.com/launches/

Ahttps://spacenews.com/fcc-approves-starlink-license-modification/

Ahttps://spacenews.com/fcc-approves-starlink-license-modification/

Link：https://new.qq.com/omn/20210430/20210430A0886Q00.html

update time：2021-05-01 10:46:34