Satellite Internet Wars: The Big Companies’ Fight for Global Dominance

By Roger He,

Columnist; Valley Christian Schools, CA

A war is currently ongoing in space. But this war is not between humans and aliens, or Martians and aliens, instead, it's a war pertaining to satellite companies such as Starlink competing over the amount of satellites they can send into space.

What do these satellites do and why are they important?

In rural and poorer areas across the globe, fiber optic cables are unable to be utilized for the internet due to the high infrastructure cost of laying these cables down. This is where companies such as Starlink step in. The main goal of these satellites is to provide high-speed, affordable internet to anywhere in the world. Sending information 47% faster than fiber optic cables according to Business Insider, all that is required to connect to this internet system is a hardware price of $599.00, a one-time shipping and handling charge of $50.00, and a monthly service charge of $110.00. The hardware consists of a small satellite dish with a mounting tripod, a wifi router, cables, and a power supply as stated on the company’s website. The internet in this day and age is one of the most powerful resources ever created by mankind and everyone should be privy to having access to it. Companies such as Starlink help make this a reality, contributing to a generally positive impact on the world. That being said, some problems may arise with the influx of satellites being sent into space.

Image sourced from Intuji

What are some issues that might occur regarding the amount of satellites being sent into space?

Starlink’s satellites have raised numerous concerns. These mainly include satellite collisions, disposal procedures, and impacts on astronomy. With Elon Musk’s plan of having 12,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, problems with satellite collisions are bound to occur. According to Hugh Lewis, the head of the Astronautics Research Group at the University of Southampton, U.K, SpaceX's Starlink satellites alone are involved in about 1,600 close encounters between two spacecraft every week. This is about 50% of all incidents. Predictions of this value shoot up to 90% once all 12,000 satellites are in orbit. This could severely impact the safety and sustainability of Earth's orbital environment. Collisions would increase space debris, hindering future space missions as well as other currently orbiting satellites.

As for disposal procedures, at the end of the 4-year lifespan of these satellites, SpaceX plans to steer them into Earth’s atmosphere and have them burn up there. At first, this might seem like a good idea since it minimizes space debris but upon closer inspection, many negative environmental impacts could arise from this disposal method. In a study published in Scientific Reports in May 2021, Canadian researcher Aaron Boley discussed the potential environmental impact of Starlink satellites. He explained that when these satellites burn up upon reentry, they release aluminum oxide, or alumina, into the atmosphere. This substance has been linked to ozone depletion and could also affect the atmosphere’s ability to reflect heat, raising concerns about its long-term effects on the planet. Burning up enough satellites would significantly alter Earth’s climate balance and the chemical composition of the atmosphere since the chemicals that are burned up are most likely to stay there forever.

Image sourced from The Hill

Astronomists globally are also voicing their concerns about the effects these satellites might have on their field of study. Radio astronomers, scientists who study celestial objects by observing the radio waves they emit, are particularly impacted by the increase in the abundance of satellites. As more and more low-orbiting satellites are sent into space, a higher amount of data will be sent back down to Earth, creating loud radio signals so people on Earth can get their internet connection. Radio astronomers will experience radio frequency interference (RFI) and increased background noise, both weakening or interrupting radio signals emitted by objects in space. All these concerns should be taken into account and impact the future decisions of Starlink and similar companies.

Why is there so much competition, and what could control of these satellites bring to companies?

Companies such as Starlink and OneWeb are racing to dominate the global internet market. One of the main reasons for this is the ability to provide internet access to rural areas, expanding the company's target market by potentially billions and generating a significant amount of income. Not only will satellites play a role in the global internet market but they will also give power over global data transmission, affecting industries such as telecommunications, financial transactions, and cloud computing. With all these aspects relying on satellites, there is no wonder why companies are aggressively expanding their satellite fleets. Now the question still remains: will this rapid expansion lead to a more connected and peaceful world, or will it further fuel the war between those who control the skies?

Sources:

Pultarova, T. (2022, April 14). Starlink Satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy. Space.com. https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellites.html

Mosher, D. (2020, October 19). Elon Musk just revealed new details about Starlink, a plan to surround Earth with 12,000 high-speed internet satellites. Here’s how it might work. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-satellite-internet-how-it-works-2019-5#cables-have-a-speed-limit-too-light-moves-through-the-vacuum-of-space-about-47-faster-than-it-can-through-solid-fiber-optic-glass-8

Pultarova, T. (2021, August 20). SpaceX Starlink satellites responsible for over half of close encounters in orbit, scientist says. Space.com. https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-satellite-collision-alerts-on-the-rise