this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2025
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[–] Etterra@discuss.online 33 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

I hate T-Mobile, but I really hate Elon Musk. So while I'm not happy for T-Mobile, I do enjoy watching Musk suffer in any way whatsoever.

[–] kadup@lemmy.world 35 points 19 hours ago

In a fight between Elon Musk and traditional telecoms, I'm cheering for the fight

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

Musk yes, but there are quite a few Ukrainian servicemen not happy, I think.

[–] kieron115@startrek.website 9 points 18 hours ago

Oh, so that's why my internet went out for 4 hours yesterday. RIP.

[–] SoupBrick@pawb.social 79 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] sepi@piefed.social 59 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Starlinks are in too low an orbit to cause Kessler Syndrome.

[–] cley_faye@lemmy.world 8 points 19 hours ago

All they can do is pollute the atmosphere we sometimes breath in even more.

[–] Aedis@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Is that accurate though? Assume a satellite is in a decaying orbit (thus too low to contribute to Kessler syndrome on its own) and another satellite is in a different orbit eccentricity-wise but they both collide. Are we certain that none of the pieces from the collision would acquire enough speed to become boloids that contribute to Kessler syndrome?

Time to go down the rabbit hole that is orbital mechanics for me again. Byeeee lol

Edit: looks like the lowest orbit for starlink's first shell is at 550km which is very much above VLEO and would definitely be a factor in Kessler Syndrome.

Most starlink satellites are set to deorbit themselves upon failure to avoid this. However the de orbiting could still fail and then it should take about a year or so to deorbit itself?

So it looks like there is a low possibility of it initiating Kessler syndrome. But it's not negligible.

[–] muntedcrocodile@hilariouschaos.com 10 points 23 hours ago

A year is actually quite a short time (in terms of deorbiting).

As for your previous question yes a collision at starlink orbit could send some shrapnel to higher orbit planes however a majority would be in highly eccentric orbits that would decay quickly on the low end.

The issue would be a starlink collision then hitting something in a higher orbit causing Kessler syndrome in that orbit. The odds of this are still next to zero but never zero.

[–] PraiseTheSoup@midwest.social 20 points 1 day ago (3 children)

but they pollute the night sky visually and that's nearly as bad.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 5 points 19 hours ago

I mean, no it's not.

Kessler syndrome is about a chain reaction that destroys everything in orbit and keeps us from accessing space for years.

Ruining your view is not "nearly as bad". That makes you sound like one of those folks on Martha's Vineyard, opposing offshore wind turbines that local communities desperately need, because they'll "ruin the view".

[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 21 points 1 day ago

I mean... it's not. One problem solves itself over time if not touched, the other is permanent and prevents us from leaving the planet.

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The night sky is also polluted by your home's lighting and car headlights but that doesn't seem to be a problem for most people.

[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 10 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (2 children)

yeah, you can't turn off your home's lighting, additionally everyone lives in cities anyway, so it's moot!

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 2 points 15 hours ago

Okay, try turning your lights off tonight and report back with how many additional stars you can see.

[–] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 2 points 17 hours ago (1 children)
[–] WhyJiffie@sh.itjust.works 1 points 15 hours ago

can't you turn off your home's lights?

[–] SoupBrick@pawb.social 8 points 1 day ago

Learn something new every day, thanks!

[–] FabledAepitaph@lemmy.world 47 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Dang, I was hoping there was a competitor. I'm boycotting Musk companies as best I can

[–] r_deckard@lemmy.world 13 points 20 hours ago

I invite you to join me in rural Australia, and choose from the many options available. /s

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yeah, sadly SpaceX and Tesla are both very promising companies primarily held back by Elon Musk.

[–] detren@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 day ago

SpaceX sure but Tesla has been in decline for so long that I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the decade it’s either irrelevant or sold off / taken from Musk.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Tesla cars have always been overpriced, low quality, unsafe toys with a shiny case around them.

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 5 points 19 hours ago

The first few iterations were good, when they went mass market they let quality go.

[–] philpo@feddit.org 4 points 20 hours ago

Iris2 and Eutselsat OneWeb are currently massively expanding their network - for European coverage first,though, but with the explicit goal to be a Musk alternative.

[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

I'll upvote anything bad happening to musk.

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 23 points 1 day ago (2 children)

good hope it stays broken forever

[–] r_deckard@lemmy.world 3 points 20 hours ago (3 children)

Thank you so much ! /s Come and join me where the options are many and the price is so cheap. /s /s

If you'd like to experience what it's like to access the internet sans Starlink, perhaps you could just throttle your modem to 8 or even 10 Mbps. Yes? No? Then consider how lucky you are, and have some empathy for those of us who have little or no alternative.

push and advocate for municipal and community owned broadband

[–] Jason2357@lemmy.ca 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Your options are limited not by random angry dude on the Internet, but by deliberate and calculated lack of development conspired between legislators and telecoms. Starlink will hit the limits imposed by physics and geometry, and then will get worse and worse the more people sign up.

[–] cole@lemdro.id 1 points 1 hour ago

You seem to know a lot about these limits, can you elaborate?

I don't think there are actual physics limitations on network capacity right now

[–] HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

"I know millions of people use their service because it's the only real option they have, but because it's associated with this one guy I don't like, they can all eat a dick!"

[–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

*one guy who is ruining the planet and purposely pushing laws that eradicate queer and trans people

[–] HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Them: "We need a strong central government to protect everyone!"

Me: "Don't do that! If bad people get control there's gonna be trouble!"

Them: "You just hate people!" votes for strong government

Them when that strong government is then taken over by bad people: 😯

[–] corroded@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (3 children)

This makes me think that the Starlink system is very poorly designed. I know there are hundreds of satellites, and a large number of base stations.

Even if a large chunk of the satellites were taken out and a few base stations failed, shouldn't the system keep working, just over a different path?

This sounds very much not like a hardware failure, but more like somebody fucked up.

[–] astrsk@fedia.io 42 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You’re off ten fold. They have thousands. Around 5000 with a planned 12k after gen 3 has been fully deployed. It’s definitely a “let the intern push to prod” type of scenario by numbers alone.

[–] credo@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They probably dorked up a bgp route or something. It was down globally.

[–] astrsk@fedia.io 4 points 1 day ago

That would do it!

[–] HiTekRedNek@lemmy.world 3 points 18 hours ago

Did you even read the article? It clearly states a core SOFTWARE component. Not hardware.

[–] Vinstaal0@feddit.nl 1 points 21 hours ago

Considering it is designed by an American mega corp, yes it is probably poorly designed because they go for profit maximalisation.