Tag: elon musk

Starlink: Connecting People to Faster Data

Among the 4.57 billion internet users and growing, you are also a part of it, currently reading this post. Half of the total users are in Asia, where the youth is consuming most of the data. Most of them are creating an online presence by spending almost 6.5 hours a day on average. You might even think to ask a question to yourself, who owns the internet? The answer is no one. You are also a part of the internet, and you own it on your devices. You watch videos on YouTube, Netflix, chat with your friends, share posts on Instagram, share your opinion on Reddit, etc. It all started in the 1960s with the project known as ARPANET, originally started being a four-node network.

Internet: Where all the ideas originate.

The average internet speed around the globe is around 33 Mbps on Mobile, where South Korea tops the chart with a whopping 100 Mbps. On the other hand, fixed connections have a much higher number at 76 Mbps, with Singapore on the top of the list with 205 Mbps. You may not be experiencing the speed. In most cases, surfing the web, listening to songs like other users, is a priority. But the time has ended up to be a power user. Several opportunities are helping people to connect to the internet for the first time. Facebook, in 2013 launched a service known as Free Basics powered by Internet.org, which was a massive success, but some problems do arise. China banned Facebook since 2009, so no opportunities for them, India refused the offer due to net neutrality. Google’s initiative Project Loon, the balloons in the stratosphere, helped to connect around 200 thousand people in 2017 during Hurricane Maria that emerged in Puerto Rico.

A bunch of cubicles where the company connects to its employees through the network.

Now, a visionary man with fulfilling all his dreams is all geared up with the project called the Starlink. Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX in 2015, presented his idea to the world how satellite communication can help us to get stable and faster internet connections. Five hundred forty satellites launched in orbit as of June 13, 2020. There are more launches in the future to make it the largest constellation consisting of 12 thousand satellites. The Russian Sputnik I was the first satellite to make its journey to space. Currently, there are more than 8 thousand satellites, out of which only 2, 218 are functional.

A switch used to connect several devices to a network

The problem is that the future can have issues like a traffic jam in orbit, yes, along with the space debris of non-functional parts of the older satellite. An incident on September 2, 2019, where ESA changed Earth observatory satellite from its usual path as Musk refused to change the same for Starlink. So this created some disagreement with the organizations. Six satellites have failed to add up to 20 thousand space debris, which is currently under strict observance.

A space rocket launch

A positive fact about the project is that to reach internet connectivity to the remotest area in the world. Do you know that the world fastest internet speed recorded recently peaked at 44.2 terabytes, which can download a thousand high definition movies just in a second? Starlink is aiming to provide speed in gigabits with low latency, and now it is inviting you to test the network. You can be a part of this.

“Earth,Mars and the Human Connection”

Man and technology have evolved as the industrial revolution started. Which not only served the base for new technology and methods in manufacturing but also motivated people to be a part of it by involving in it as scientists, workers and even the buyers by shifting to urban areas to work for their livelihood. This not only changed the world, but also introduced it to a new phase and living of lifestyle. Today we acknowledge different things in our surroundings, including technology in its manufacturing. This technology has helped humans since ages, and to bring up more comfort to his life. The thought every individual had initially was different difficulties, which made them believe it wasn’t possible, but with the essence of togetherness ,we all made it possible. But the biggest and the massive investment and technological advancement was brought up by the idea to go in the space. The dream which every one had in their childhood, became reality, and we humans have been able to do it. 

Advancement in this science and technology and various other gadgets is not limited, rather growing with new ideas pulling every day. But the next big idea which companies especially like Nasa and Spacex are working on, is to colonise Mars, by 2024. With Believes to make this planet a permanent home to live on. This idea was brought by CEO, founder of spacex Elon musk and has been working with Nasa and it’s team on this project. Humans have sent rovers and satellites to Mars to know various geographical and environmental aspects which have helped to know about it’s terrain and major gases in its atmosphere. 

But the main question which arises in the mind of each individual is “How would this be possible and What would these astronauts be doing at the red planet and would be their strategies”? So for this initially Spacex and Nasa would be sending it’s Big Falcon rockets on an unmanned missions which would be setting up the power sources ( the solar panel) and to mine so as to build their automated Propellent system and plant. The main work for this propellant plant would be to process the excess of carbon dioxide and water found in the surface of Mars to make oxygen and methane which would then be used as a propellant on the return back mission to earth. The sabatier process involved the usage of nickel catalyst to interact with hydrogen and carbon dioxide at high temperatures and pressure which results in the production of water and methane. This would be liquified and used fuel to come back .

But the most important thing to do is to set up their base on Mars which could be similar to the Internal Space station with expansions at each side. Talking about the essentials food and water, these astronauts would be carrying with them almost 2 years’ vault of food vacuumed with them like the one used in the International space Station. Nasa has also been working on the travel mode, which would be a rover-like thing being able to carry around 4-5 people on board even in the baddest and toughest areas if land.. 

“It would be a great adventure to see how humans are able to cross this barrier and prove the power of technologies of different aspects. This journey surely will be  filled with adventures, emotions, series of difficulties but with significant hope and the belief to overcome all of them and achieve success”.