threelonmusketeersM to SpaceflightEnglish · 5 days agoAST SpaceMobile raises $400 million to accelerate direct-to-smartphone plansspacenews.comexternal-linkmessage-square2fedilinkarrow-up112arrow-down10
arrow-up112arrow-down1external-linkAST SpaceMobile raises $400 million to accelerate direct-to-smartphone plansspacenews.comthreelonmusketeersM to SpaceflightEnglish · 5 days agomessage-square2fedilink
minus-squareTar_AlcaranlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4·4 days agoHow are they supposed to provide full coverage for the US, with a limited constellation, from LEO? I get that the huge antenna would help them get a MUCH larger angle than starlink does, but basic orbital mechanics seems to make this impossible.
minus-squarethreelonmusketeersOPMlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·4 days agoMy guess is that they would have to be placed in higher orbits than Starlink, perhaps more akin to the Iridium constellation.
How are they supposed to provide full coverage for the US, with a limited constellation, from LEO? I get that the huge antenna would help them get a MUCH larger angle than starlink does, but basic orbital mechanics seems to make this impossible.
My guess is that they would have to be placed in higher orbits than Starlink, perhaps more akin to the Iridium constellation.