Iran’s crackdown on dissidents is shaping up as one of the toughest security tests yet for Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has served as a lifeline against state-imposed internet blackouts since its use in the Ukraine war. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/17/tech/starlink-internet-test-iran-analysis/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #tech #iran #starlink #elonmusk #spacex #tech #internet
🛰️ The FCC is letting SpaceX launch 7,500 more Starlink satellites
｢ That many new satellites in orbit is likely to raise concerns from astronomers who have complained about light pollution, as well as increase worries over space junk and orbital collisions. But the promise of direct-to-cell connectivity outside the US, as well as internet speeds of up to 1 Gbps, apparently won out ｣
https://www.theverge.com/news/860210/fcc-spacex-7500-more-starlink-satellites
Starlink roam 50GB is now 100GB with unlimited slow speed after that
https://starlink.com/support/article/58c9c8b7-474e-246f-7e3c-06db3221d34d
#HackerNews #Starlink #Roam #StarlinkUpdate #InternetAccess #SpaceTech #SatelliteInternet
Looks like the #government of #Iran manages to enforce #censorship even beyond landlines and cell connectivity. They managed to render #Starlink terminals useless by jamming #GPS signals:
https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-starlink-internet-shutdown/
tools for commensality 🧿
boosted
The article touches on this a little, but just to highlight that it's not necessarily a fact that Starlink *can't* get through, it is simply not a priority for the billionaire manbaby who owns it at this time.
This will also make it easier for disinformation about what's going on in Iran to spread.
(CN: article title contains ableist language)
https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-starlink-internet-shutdown/
The article touches on this a little, but just to highlight that it's not necessarily a fact that Starlink *can't* get through, it is simply not a priority for the billionaire manbaby who owns it at this time.
This will also make it easier for disinformation about what's going on in Iran to spread.
(CN: article title contains ableist language)
https://restofworld.org/2026/iran-starlink-internet-shutdown/
🛰️ ‘Kill Switch’—Iran Shuts Down Starlink Internet For First Time
🛰️ China applies to put up 200,000 satellites after calling Starlink a crash risk // SCMP
happyborg
boosted
Iranian regime tries to shut down Starlink
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-appears-to-jam-starlink-after-shutting-down-comms-networks/
#HackerNews #Iran #Starlink #censorship #communications #freedom #technology
Question:
On my flight with Qatar Airways, I was not able to access my mastodon.social account and I am wondering why.
I was able to access hachyderm.io without any issues (this account).
Based on the commercials the airline is showing, the Internet is provided via Starlink.
I am curious what is going on there.
SpaceX gets FCC permission to launch another 7,500 Starlink satellites
Including previous approvals, Starlink can now deploy 15,000 Gen2 satellites.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/01/spacex-gets-fcc-permission-to-launch-another-7500-starlink-satellites/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/115868067425414674
#SpaceX is authorized to construct, deploy, and operate an additional 7,500 Gen2 #Starlink satellites, bringing the total to 15,000 #satellites 🛰️
This seems counter-intuitive; won’t lowering orbits reduce the spacing between satellites? Also, it will shorten their lifespan by increasing atmospheric drag. It seems more likely this is either a response to one of their birds breaking up in orbit or a move to improve latency.?
“Starlink plans to lower satellite orbit to enhance safety in 2026”
#Starlink #SpaceX
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/article/starlink-plans-to-lower-satellite-orbit-to-enhance-safety-in-2026/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub
Alex Akselrod
boosted
Here’s what The Counteroffensive is reading today:
#NATO intel warns #Russia is developing weapons that create clouds of shrapnel to target Ukraine's #Starlink satellites, critical for military activity.
Experts say this could also damage Russia’s satellites. https://apnews.com/article/russia-starlink-musk-ukraine-space-china-canada-c69c1fda5ffc93828712ab723e606a2c
Here’s what The Counteroffensive is reading today:
#NATO intel warns #Russia is developing weapons that create clouds of shrapnel to target Ukraine's #Starlink satellites, critical for military activity.
Experts say this could also damage Russia’s satellites. https://apnews.com/article/russia-starlink-musk-ukraine-space-china-canada-c69c1fda5ffc93828712ab723e606a2c
I've seen some truly bad headlines related to this paper. Clearly LLM-written and not checked well. The funniest (saddest) ones seem to imply that 3 days from now, there will definitely be a crash in orbit.
I'm glad conversations are happening as a result of this paper. I hope the right conversations happen with the right people, and maybe some regulations will happen? Probably not fast enough. But I'm still holding out hope (and writing lots of letters to the FCC).
@sundogplanets #canada should start a new space program that will deploy clean up satellites that sweep the junk from collisions and then #deorbit the material into the offending party’s launch location. #starlink we’re looking at you.
Martin Holland
boosted
„Gefährlich nahe“: Starlink-Satellit angeblich knapp einer Kollision entgangen
Vor wenigen Tagen ist ein neu gestarteter Satellit vergleichsweise knapp an einem Starlink-Satelliten vorbeigerast. SpaceX übt deshalb grundsätzliche Kritik.
#Raumfahrt #Satellit #SpaceX #Starlink #Wirtschaft #Wissenschaft #news
Reposting for those not bridged to BlueSky, and to add alt-text, because this is important!
Jonathan McDowell @planet4589.bsky.social posted this morning: "The number of active satellites in orbit has now passed the 14000 mark according to my estimates"
@sundogplanets @planet4589.bsky.social
With all this debris soon to come down it's like there has been a war in LEO....