Radical SpaceX Starlink Satellite Designs Lower Costs by Three Times

SpaceX has made radical and innovative choices to make the Starlink satellites lower cost and more reliable.

SpaceX deployed all sixty satellites with the launching system. The Starlink satellites will use Krypton ion engines to move into their correct positions.

The Starlink satellites were packed flat like Ikea furniture. The flat configuration enabled about two to three times as many satellites to be launched at the same time.

Starlink's flat-panel design allows for a dense launch stack to take full advantage of Falcon 9’s launch capabilities pic.twitter.com/ntnJInEfno

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 24, 2019

Krypton thrusters operative, satellites initiating orbit raise every 90 mins

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 25, 2019

Krypton ion thrusters activate in about 3 hours to raise orbit

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 24, 2019

Starlink satellites are equipped with one solar array instead of two, minimizing potential points of failure pic.twitter.com/bJirVr67fF

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 24, 2019

* SpaceX uses krypton instead of xenon as fuel for their ion drives. This will cut the cost of electric Starlink thrusters by up to 10 times. This will save $50,000 or more per satellite.

* They built four large phased-array antennas directly into the body of each satellite in order to remove a failure mode where antennas do not deploy.

Successful deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed! pic.twitter.com/eYrLocCiws

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 24, 2019

SOURCES- Twitter Elon Musk and SpaceX, Teslarati
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

Brian Wang

Brian Wang is a prolific business-oriented writer of emerging and disruptive technologies. He is known for insightful articles that combine business and technical analysis that catches the attention of the general public and is also useful for those in the industries. He is the sole author and writer of nextbigfuture.com, the top online science blog. He is also involved in angel investing and raising funds for breakthrough technology startup companies.

He gave the recent keynote presentation at Monte Jade event with a talk entitled the Future for You.  He gave an annual update on molecular nanotechnology at Singularity University on nanotechnology, gave a TEDX talk on energy, and advises USC ASTE 527 (advanced space projects program). He has been interviewed for radio, professional organizations. podcasts and corporate events. He was recently interviewed by the radio program Steel on Steel on satellites and high altitude balloons that will track all movement in many parts of the USA.

He fundraises for various high impact technology companies and has worked in computer technology, insurance, healthcare and with corporate finance.

He has substantial familiarity with a broad range of breakthrough technologies like age reversal and antiaging, quantum computers, artificial intelligence, ocean tech,  agtech, nuclear fission, advanced nuclear fission, space propulsion, satellites, imaging, molecular nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine, blockchain, crypto and many other areas.