tl;dr there will be a satellite just for videos of cats
http://www.ibtimes.com/elon-musks-s...es-broadcasting-internet-entire-world-1960546
Elon Musk's SpaceX has officially asked for permission to build a constellation of 4,000 satellites capable of beaming the Internet to the most remote regions of the earth. The plan, outlined in a request to the Federal Communications Commission, would transform Musk's rocket company into a new Internet service provider to compete with the likes of Verizon and Comcast. And you thought you were having a productive day.
Musk first revealed his company's plan during a SpaceX event in January, though he didn't formally request authorization from the FCC until last month (the news was first revealed Wednesday by the Washington Post). The plan centers around the idea that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket would launch into orbit, then deploy a fleet of satellites that broadcast Internet signals to various points across the globe.
The FCC request seeks permission to first find out if SpaceX's antenna technology is actually strong enough to reach devices on earth. If all goes according to plan, though, the tests could be underway by 2016, and the satellites and Internet in operation within five years.
http://www.ibtimes.com/elon-musks-s...es-broadcasting-internet-entire-world-1960546
Elon Musk's SpaceX has officially asked for permission to build a constellation of 4,000 satellites capable of beaming the Internet to the most remote regions of the earth. The plan, outlined in a request to the Federal Communications Commission, would transform Musk's rocket company into a new Internet service provider to compete with the likes of Verizon and Comcast. And you thought you were having a productive day.
Musk first revealed his company's plan during a SpaceX event in January, though he didn't formally request authorization from the FCC until last month (the news was first revealed Wednesday by the Washington Post). The plan centers around the idea that SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket would launch into orbit, then deploy a fleet of satellites that broadcast Internet signals to various points across the globe.
The FCC request seeks permission to first find out if SpaceX's antenna technology is actually strong enough to reach devices on earth. If all goes according to plan, though, the tests could be underway by 2016, and the satellites and Internet in operation within five years.
