Connect with us

Cars

​SpaceX approved to send over 7,000 satellites into orbit

Published

on


(Image: SpaceX)

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has given SpaceX authorisation to construct, deploy, and operate in excess of 7,000 satellites into very-low-Earth orbit, expected to boost internet connectivity across the globe.

The FCC also granted SpaceX’s request to add the 37.5-42.0 GHz and 47.2-50.2 GHz frequency bands to its previously authorised non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) constellation.

The authorisation allows SpaceX to expand its geographic coverage and gives the aerospace startup the green light to support broadband and communications services for residential, commercial, institutional, governmental, and professional users, globally.

Elon Musk’s company was given authorisation for NGSO satellite activities alongside Kepler Communications, Telesat Canada, and LeoSat.

The FCC granted Kepler conditional US market access, allowing the Toronto-based company to offer global connectivity for the Internet of Things. The ruling also gave the company approval to use its proposed constellation of 140 NGSO satellites in the 10.7-12.7 GHz and 14.0-14.5 GHz frequency bands.

Telesat was similarly granted conditional US market access in the 37.5-42.0 GHz and 47.2- 50.2 GHz frequency bands, with the FCC nod enabling the Ottawa headquartered company to offer high-speed, low-latency communication services across the US using its proposed constellation of 117 NGSO satellites.

US market access was also given to Washington DC-based LeoSat to operate its 78 NGSO satellites in the 17.8-18.6 GHz, 18.8-19.4 GHz, 19.6-20.2 GHz, 27.5- 29.1 GHz, and 29.5-30.0 GHz frequency bands.

In total, the FCC has granted 13 market access requests and satellite applications to nine companies for NGSO FSS constellations seeking authority to provide “next-generation connectivity” across the country in the past 18 months.

The FCC said approval to the four companies on Thursday will enhance competition among existing and future FSS satellite systems.

“I’m excited to see what services these proposed constellations have to offer,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in an email statement to ZDNet’s sister site CNET. “Our approach to these applications reflects this commission’s fundamental approach: encourage the private sector to invest and innovate and allow market forces to deliver value to American consumers.”

Authorisation comes as SpaceX successfully launched its 18th rocket into space from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, with a Falcon 9 rocket lifting Qatar’s Es’hail 2 communications satellite into orbit.

The satellite provides government and private sector communications across the Middle East, including direct-to-home television and data services.

RELATED COVERAGE

Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cars

The Experimental Honda Business Jet With A Strange Turbofan Design

Published

on

While most small aircraft are made out of a combination of aluminum and fiberglass, the MH02 was the first ever all-composite jet, meaning that all structural components of the jet were made out of a carbon fiber-epoxy resin material. The carbon fiber wonder was just under 37 feet long and had a wingspan of over 36 feet. Its two aforementioned turbofans pumped out a combined 2,464 pounds of thrust, allowing it to reach speeds of 353 knots (or 406 miles per hour).

Unconventional design notwithstanding, the MH02 never saw the light of day or real production aside from the prototype. Honda never intended the MH02 to take to the sky as a production jet and its sole purpose was to act as a test bed for Honda’s flight-related projects. The MH02 wasn’t going to win many prizes in the looks department, but the data collected during its flight proved to be invaluable to the future HondaJet. It showed that the company responsible for making the Honda Accord was capable of making a feasible passenger jet, further cementing Honda’s reputation as the producer of just about anything that has an engine, turbofan or otherwise. 

[Featured image by Morio via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]

Continue Reading

Cars

iPhone 15’s Potential Charging Limits May Bring Trouble For Apple

Published

on

Given that Apple has yet to officially confirm or deny the possibility of its lower-priced iPhones getting slower charging speeds, the IMCO hasn’t discussed a possible regulatory intervention. IMCO’S major bone of contention is the possibility of Apple implementing a feature that would only allow official Apple USB-C accessories to be used with USB-C iPhones — thereby locking out competing products.

At this point, the IMCO seems unaware of Apple’s MFI (Made for iPhone) program, which allows third-party accessory makers to design and manufacture iPhone accessories that conform to Apple’s strict quality standards. Apple claims the MFI certification acts as a quality seal and prevents users from ending up with poor-quality devices that could potentially damage its products. However, Apple’s intentions behind the MFI program aren’t entirely noble, given that the company earns a small commission from the sale of each MFI-certified accessory.

At this point, the IMCO sees these rumored restrictions as an anti-competitive move that completely violates consumer rights. It remains to be seen if the two parties are able to settle these differences before the launch of the iPhone 15 series in September this year.

Continue Reading

Cars

Hyundai And KIA To Offer Free Steering Wheel Locks To Combat Viral TikTok Thefts

Published

on

The robberies started as a viral TikTok challenge where thieves, predominantly young boys who choose to be distinguished as the “KIA Boys,” have been hotwiring certain KIA and Hyundai car models using a USB cable. This is because the plagued models lack a crucial component called an ignition immobilizer, responsible for cutting off the fuel supply to the engine in case someone attempts to start the car without the actual key.

Due to the viral TikTok trend, several thieves have joined in to carjack the affected models and spread the word further. Most of these models affected by the flaw use mechanical keys and not smart key fobs.

Incidentally, many insurance companies “temporarily” stopped offering coverage for the affected models owing to their lack of anti-theft features. Despite warnings from several state and city police departments, there is no national tally of the number of robberies since the trend went viral. But in January 2023, Progressive, one of the leading insurance companies, told CNN that these vehicles were 20 times more likely to be stolen. It was one of the companies to limit the sale of new policies for the affected vehicles.

Continue Reading

Trending